Calliope's Guide To Hogwarts
by Agrolass
Summary: My name's Chrissie and I write a column for the school paper.I made the big mistake in snogging Oliver Wood last year, while drunk might I add, and now he won't let me live it down. Wood, you're about to learn not to mess with Chrissie!
1. The Truth About Christina and Oliver

**Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter and it's characters obviously belong to JK Rowling. If they were mine their stories would have been so pathetic and uninteresting. The character Chrissie and her friends are mine though, so they might not be protected from the same fate! :P**

* * *

**Calliope's Guide To Hogwarts**

Chapter 1; The Truth About Christina and Oliver

I've made a mistake. A huge, enormously bad mistake. You know the ones, where you knew at the time this was probably not the best decision you were about to make in your life, but you went ahead and did it anyway? Either your lack of a better judgement, friends or the deadliest of all, alcohol, just managed to overpower and shut off your conscience long enough for you to go ahead and do it? Well I done that.

Generally these type of situations happen pretty often in my life, but this time I've gone and outdone myself. I went and snogged Oliver Wood. And as if that weren't bad enough I threw myself at him, snogging him, while very much under the influence of alcohol and many other stupid things like a lack of better judgement. It lasted half the night and it happened at the end of sixth year, during the last party Gryffindor house threw, for no other reason than the hell of it. And now it's September and while I may be hoping that everyone has forgotten it over the summer, or even better that it has become old news, my instincts are telling me that I'm not going to get my heart's desire. And they are never wrong!

"Here's to no end of year exams!" a seventh year Gryffindor roared, teetering precariously on the spindly wooden end table next to the array of sofas in the crowded Gryffindor common room. A loud cheer erupted from all around the common room, and I like everyone else, held their cups of drinks in the air before downing the contents whole.

"And here's to Harry Potter for defeating that snake!" another Gryffindor boy roared at the top of his lungs. The jug he held, which contained orange juice, and what smelled suspiciously like Firewhiskey sloshing out of the side of the rim, was thrust in the air to which we all cheered and drank more alcohol. The boy that was still trying to balance himself on the small end table came with an almighty crash back down to the ground, as one of the legs gave way and he fell into a crowd of people, drink spilling everywhere. Most of us burst out laughing at the scene, while others turned to talk amongst themselves again.

"And here's to the start of summer!" I yelled into the crowd to which they responded enthusiastically and I went to down the last of my drink, but saw that my cup was empty. I let out an irritated and slightly drunk growl and meandered my way to one of the tables to find more alcohol.

"Don't you think you should slow down a bit?" I heard the voice of my best friend call out to me, and I slowly swivelled my head and tried to focus my eyes on the blurry image of the brunette girl standing next to me, her hand on my wrist.

"I'm celebrating, we're all celebrating Abby. Don't worry I'll be fine!" I replied loudly, over-emphasising the last sentence and waving my free arm into the air. I always did have a habit of over-gesturing when I was intoxicated.

"Chrissie-" Abby started up again, but I instead focussed my attention on pouring juice and Firewhiskey into another mug, which I promptly put into her open hand before she could stop me.

"Drink Abby. You're always telling me I should relax more. Now don't you worry that snake monster's been killed, everyone is fine, we've no end of year exams and we're going home in a week," I replied, my entire attention on the girl next to me, which was quite a feat let me say in my inebriated state. Her face relaxed a bit and she held her mug out to which I toasted it with my now full drink and we both took a drink. I gave her one last smile before darting back into the crowd.

The Gryffindor common room seemed to have been packed to the rafters for I had great difficulty making my way through the throng, while still holding onto my drink. I started to get annoyed real quick and began yelling out at the top of my voice for people to move, but it was quickly drowned out by the loud music blasting form a wireless radio sitting in the corner.

"Move!" I yelled one more time, exasperation etched in my tone of voice.

"No need to be so impatient Christina," a Scottish accent replied next to me, and I turned my head slightly to see the boy all messy light brunette hair, piercing green eyes and the most charming smile I had probably ever seen in my drunken state. I gazed at him for a second taking in his very handsome face, and it took me another few seconds to realise that who I had just rather rudely pushed out of the way was none other than sixth year Oliver Wood, captain of our magnificent, yet still defeated Quidditch team.

"I gotta get through," I whined, my inebriated state making me sound even more pathetic.

"Well that's no way to act to someone you just pushed out of the way," he replied, eyebrows knitted together though there was a playful smirk playing at the corner of his mouth, showing of his dimples.

"Well _I'm sorry!"_ I replied, smirking slightly, my eyes meeting his. "I do apologize if I have offended you, Mister Wood. I mean Gryffindor celebrities like you should be respected above all else and-" But annoyingly I was cut off by Oliver Wood raising his hand, amusement shining in his eyes as he quickly counteracted.

"I take it back! Go right ahead and keep pushing me out of the way."

"Wait a minute," I added, eyes narrowing as a memory flashed before my eyes of a few hours previously. "I spoke to you a few hours ago!"

"I'm glad you can remember that!" Wood replied, that smile still tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Well I've a bone to pick with you, Mister Wood. What's with your bitching about the Tornados?" I asked, indignant, my fore finger poking his chest.

"Well Miss Christina," Oliver Wood replied, taking a step closer, that smirk still playing at the corners of his mouth as he towered over me. "I do believe you're still annoyed that I was right and you know it. Let's just stop the pretend act, we both know the Tutshill Tornados are shite and focus on why you're really here still talking to me."

"Oh really, and why would that be. Maybe because you're a fellow Gryffindor and are friends with my friends. I don't suppose that could be the real reason," I counteracted, smirking back up at him, arms crossed across my chest.

"True," he replied nonchalantly, taking my drink from my hand and giving it a sniff. "You've also been drinking and I think I'm quite correct in surmising that you're pissed."

"You're very confident in yourself. And what if I am, not that it's any of your concern," I answered back breezily, giving him a sweet smile and going for my beverage, which was still in his hand, but annoyingly he was faster and raised his hand higher into the air and I wasn't tall enough to reach it. "Wood, will you give me back my alcohol!"

"No," he replied, chuckling away, "You're drunk and I'm doing this for your own good. Who knows who could take advantage of you in this situation".

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you!"

"Oh really," he asked, handing it to someone who passed, which I watched with a scowl on my face. "You're not worried some randy teenage boy will take full advantage of your inebriated state?"

"No."

He leant down ever closer to me, and even in my state, my breath hitched as my eyes flew to his lips that were so close to mine. He halted a few centimetres from my face, teasingly close and smirked at me.

He had me caught in that instant. My entire body was fixated completely on him. Someone could have let of an explosion next to me and I wouldn't have noticed. Oliver Wood had me completely under his spell, like all those other girls he would play that trick on, and I, like every other girl was hooked. He then slowly pulled away and only when he was standing an arm's distance away did I let out a breath, which I hadn't even realised I held. My mouth was slightly open, eyes wide and round and the drink over which we had been arguing about was completely forgotten.

"I thought as much," he replied, that smirk starting to drive me crazy, though I didn't know at that moment whether I wanted to throttle him or kiss him senseless. So my senseless, drunken brain done the only thing it could think of and before I knew what was happening I had closed the distance between us and literally jumped on top of him, kissing him with all that I had.

Damn alcohol!

* * *

"Well, well, well if it isn't Christina Margate! Stop gawking like a fish out of water and give us a hug." I swivelled around on the spot and spotted the curly brown hair of my best friend walking towards me. I let out a shriek, dropped my trunk onto the ground and enveloped my best friend in a hug. Abigail Graham, my best friend since the moment I met her on the train in first year hugged me back tightly, but eventually disengaged my arms from around her and took a step back, letting out a deep breath.

"Merlin Chrissie, are you trying to kill me? You know I look terrible in black and I really don't want to attend my own funeral," she admonished, rolling her eyes at my childish behaviour.

"Chrissie, you're a seventh year, not a child. You're right Abby, we can't take this one anywhere," Jacqueline Stevens, a fellow seventh year Gryffindor and good friend of mine said. I inspected Jackie for a moment and saw that she had tied her dark auburn hair in a high bun that starkly reminded me of the one McGonagall would always wear.

"Well then you must be about forty by the way you're acting!" I replied jokingly to which she only smiled indulgently. "It's good to see you both again. Have I got things to tell the both of you!"

"What you mean you finally managed to snag that hot gay boy in Marseilles?" Abby teased, referring to my last month spent with family in the south of France, which I could accredit the fabulously golden tan I had developed and was currently showing off in my baggy white t-shirt and denim shorts.

"Oh ha ha Abby!" I replied sarcastically, "No come on let's get a compartment before all the good ones are gone and we have to share with the Ravenclaws again and listen to them fretting about assignments that haven't even been given yet."

Abby, ever the leader, took charge and began steering Jackie and I through the crowd and onto the train until we found an acceptable compartment which matched all of our requirements and had resulted in another round of bickering from me and Jackie while we stored our trunks and assorted bags in the rails above our heads.

"Jackie!" the high-pitched squeal of Tess Bailey made its way over from the open compartment door, which none of us had noticed had opened while we stowed our trunks and assorted bags away. We all turned around with big grins on our faces as Jackie stood up and Tess threw herself at her best friend so the only things we saw were her clothes and her bouncing long blonde hair hair enveloping Jackie. Poor Jackie looked slightly frightened by the loud squeal emitting from her.

"Tess, please don't scream in my ear!" Jackie cried out from above the din, and before she could add anything more, she had violently let her go and thrown herself at me.

"Oomph!" came my dull reply as her arms wrapped around my neck, cutting off both my breathing and probably my circulation.

"Hey Chrissie, did you miss me?" she squealed into my ear, grinning broadly.

"Yes Tess, now please let me breathe!" I cried out, though it came out a little muffled, due to the fact that she had crushed herself against me. She finally let go and hugged Abby, though thankfully by that time she had calmed down a little and didn't try and strangle her too.

"Well you seem quite cheerful!" I aimed sarcastically at Tess. Instead she just let go of Abby, smiled sweetly at me and plopped herself on the seat in between Jackie and the window. Her serene smile made me ponder on whether she really was as blonde as people claimed of her to be, or whether she was actually smarter than we all gave her credit for. I never really could tell with that girl.

"Has anybody seen the boys by any chance?" Tess chirped, raising a blonde eyebrow, seeming to be contemplating something to herself.

"Actually no, they should really be here by now," Abby replied, "I've got something to say that I really wanted to say when they got here".

"No, please not the boys. Can we do without them for the first few hours of returning to Hogwarts?" I quickly pleaded, hoping that the slight apprehension in my voice wouldn't be too obvious. I really had no problem with seeing my male friends again, but ever since the end of last year my male friends had been getting on brilliantly with Oliver Wood, and I just wasn't ready to see him face-to-face yet.

Thankfully none of the girls had caught on to my apprehension at having the boys around me, for Tess clapped her hand over her mouth and exclaimed in a scandalous squeal.

"Oh my god guys!" she cried aloud and we all turned to face her. "You so would not believe who has broken up!"

"Who?" we all demanded and with a smirk I noticed that even the sensible, I'm-not-going-to-gossip Jackie was curious as to who Tess was talking about.

"Jason Rotham and Karine Bakshi!" she answered proudly, beaming that she could give us such juicy gossip, but I was slightly apprehensive, for I knew where this conversation could go.

"Wait, wasn't she going out with Oliver Wood?" Jackie asked, brows knitted together in confusion.

"She was, until she dumped him for his friend Jason!" Tess cried out triumphantly.

"Well look at that, but seriously is it our place to pry into other peoples' lives?" I asked, one last attempt at moving this conversation from dangerous waters.

"Chrissie, how come you're not joining in on the gossiping, you usually love this type of thing!" Jackie queried. Damn that girl was smart!

"Yes Christina, darling," Abby piped up, eyes glinting dangerously, which was always a good sign that she was about to take great pleasure in something. "How come you're not gossiping too? Might it have something to do with the fact you've been trying to move us away from the topic of Oliver Wood for the last few minutes?"

Note to self. Strangle best friend!

I shot a filthy look at her and turned to the others with as composed a face as possible and replied with dignity. "I've grown up and realised it's silly to gossip about such pointless things." Abby let out a snort and Tess rolled her eyes at me, while Jackie only smiled indulgently at me. Some friends they are!

"No Chrissie, we all know the real reason for why you don't want to talk about Oliver Wood and it all has to do with the Gryffindor party last year where you snogged him." Abby was trying to look disinterested as she passed on this piece of information, but I could tell that she felt a guilty sense of enjoyment in telling the other girls. I would have to strangle her tonight before she told any other secrets she should have kept to herself.

"You'd better watch your back tonight Abby!" I growled. "You might not wake up tomorrow morning."

"You snogged Oliver Wood?" Tess squealed and even Jackie looked shocked, for her mouth was hanging open.

"I was drunk!" I whined.

"Doesn't count as an excuse," Jackie replied, "Now spill!"

"Really I can't remember it. Abby just said it to me the next morning that I had. Really you should ask her!"

"Bullshit Chrissie, you were more than consciously aware of it, but you're probably right I should tell them!" Abby answered, a smile on her lips.

"Don't-" But unfortunately both Jackie and Tess had jumped at the opportunity and bombarded Abby with questions about me and Wood.

"Really it's no big deal!" I added above the din, hoping to draw attention away from this line of conversation, but it failed miserably.

"I swear she literally jumped his bones. It was very amusing to watch and they were at it practically all night!" Abby continued on.

"Oh come on, you were pretty drunk too!" I defended myself, becoming annoyed with this whole ridiculous situation now.

"Yes, but I didn't just jump on some random bloke and snog him senseless all night!" Abby replied, and now all three girls were smiling indulgently at me. This was terrible!

"Okay can we please look past my moment of insanity and how much of a mistake I made and talk about something else?" I pleaded. Abby lowered her eyes and the grin slid of her face and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're right, we shouldn't torment poor Chrissie about this any more. Besides I'm sure Oliver will more than do it for us!" Abby replied, a smirk forming on the corner of her mouth.

"Urgh don't remind me!" I growled and added, "So what were you going to tell us before you lost track?"

"Oh right!" Abby's eyes lit up. "Well you guys know that my brother Jack was in seventh year last year" and the three of us paused a moment to contemplate Jack Graham, probably the hottest guy to ever go through Hogwarts. Tess and Jackie were wearing dreamy looks on their faces, like I was and I assume they too were thinking about Abby's brother. That family gene pool had been very blessed, for both Abby and Jack were incredibly stunning.

"Guys?" Abby asked and we all snapped back. I was shaking my head to dispel the rather wonderful image of Jack Graham.

"Well anyway, he sat me down a few weeks ago, all serious and told me something which you're only aloud to find out about when you go into your seventh year at Hogwarts and it's incredibly secret, so you can't tell anybody and I'm being very serious here!"

"What is it Abby?" I asked and Tess and Jackie nodded their heads at her, all three of us completely enthralled.

"It's a club called the 7C", Abby replied. "It's basically this completely secret club that some seventh years are members of, that's all the houses and there's this committee who organise events for the club. They apparently have parties in these secret locations, at least that's what they had last year".

"Are you sure he wasn't just pulling your leg?" Jackie asked, ever the voice of reason.

"Actually, you know I remember hearing rumours about this type of thing a few years ago!" Tess exclaimed, her voice lower. "I remember hearing about it first when I was in fourth year and then something back in fifth year, but I had always assumed it to be an urban legend at school!"

"You mean this actually exists?" Jackie cried, still not quite believing Tess or Abby.

"Yeah I'm being serious, my brother was on the committee last year. Apparently I got put on the committee for this year's 7C. It's strange, because I didn't even know there was such a thing!"

"Well are you going to do it?" both Tess and I blurted out at the same time. We caught each other's eye and smiled at the similarity in our train of thoughts.

"I said yeah. I'm assuming the very least I have to do is get a bunch of people together for a party. Sounds like fun to me!" she replied and we all grinned at the thought of having some secret parties and being part of an exclusive club.

"But how did you get picked anyway?" Jackie enquired. "I don't understand how this all works".

"Well Jack just came to my room during the summer and told me that he was a member of the previous committee. They apparently have to choose their successors before they hand the job over to the next committee and he gave me a photo album with a whole load of stuff from the previous years in it. It's in my bag, we can look at it later on. The club itself is only meant to be really small, you know the committee and then the Quidditch players, social butterflies and general popular people. I've put you guys forward as members already," she added as an afterword and we all grinned at each other.

"But then, who are the rest of the committee members?" Tess proclaimed curiously.

"I don't even know. I suppose I'll find out at Hogwarts!" Abby replied laughing. "It's really strange isn't it?" Jackie, Tess and I agreed.

"Wow, looks like it's going to be an interesting year!" Tess exclaimed whistling to herself and we all nodded our heads to that.

* * *

Merlin I hated my uniform. Not only was the jumper incredibly scratchy and stiff, the skirt was horrendous and because it was only the first night we couldn't quite get away with rolling it up yet so it was at that horrible length of hitting your knees as you walked. Even my brand new mary jane shoes couldn't do much to save this outfit, and I pulled at my sleeves in an irritated fashion, while waiting for Dumbledore to finish droning on whatever his speech was about. Probably just the usual school rules we couldn't break, blah, blah, blah. I yawned and held my stomach as it growled. Ever since that freaky incident on the train earlier on where apparently a Dementor came on-board, I have been starving and even the three bars of chocolate that Jackie handed me weren't enough to curb my appetite.

"I'm hungry!" I whined and I was treated to a sharp jab in my side from Jackie, who was sitting next to me. I glowered at her and turned my attention to my other side where Abby sat, but she refused to pay any attention to me. I looked in the direction that had so caught her attention and saw that Dumbledore was currently introducing our new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, a Remus Lupin, by the sound of it. I yawned, thinking that the guy could be quite hot if he wasn't quite so old and didn't have so many grey hairs. My attention was caught for a few minutes just examining our new Defence Against The Dark Arts Professor, admiring his smile when I suddenly became very aware of a set of eyes watching me. I flicked my gaze away from Lupin and realised with a start and widened eyes, that Oliver Wood was only sitting four seats up from where I was and he was trying to catch my attention. I quickly closed my mouth so I wouldn't look like a complete fool and looked away, a blush coming over my cheeks. Merlin I was pathetic!

Tess, damn the girl for being so acute right now, caught my blush and she kicked my leg under the table, a big grin on her face.

"Look who it is Chrissie!" she whispered conspiratorially, leaning over the table from where she sat across from me, trying to be subtle. All it really done is catch the other girls' attention and they huddled around me, all wearing big grins from ear to ear.

"Don't tell me you're embarrassed Christina!" Abby proclaimed dramatically, prodding me in the side.

"I'm not!" I countered huffily, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Then why can't you even look at Oliver then?" Jackie asked, then added "Whatever happened to it just being a stupid mistake that meant nothing?"

"Oh stop it you three!" I growled, shaking my head, deciding it was time I started being the voice of reason. "Can we just grow up, and maybe move on?"

"Oh as opposed to stare at him and drool all over your plate?" Abby countered, eyebrow raised.

"I wasn't staring at Oliver Wood, I was staring at our new Professor, Lupin!" I replied quickly. They could tease me all they wanted about Wood, but I had to at least set the record straight when it came to who I drooled about. "Come on, look at him, he's hot!"

"He's in his mid thirties," Jackie spoke, not even looking up at the man.

"So?" I quizzed, really not getting the point.

"Well if you're all for moving on and it really isn't such a big deal, then you won't mind if I call Oliver over here and ask him how his summer was, will you?" Abby said, rising from her seat, but she never got far because I had quickly jumped out of my seat, the bench scraping loudly against the stone floor so that it caught everyone's attention. I grabbed hold of her sleeve and quickly yanked her down, my expression furious, but she was laughing quietly to herself. By this time everyone at the Gryffindor table was curiously watching us to see what the commotion was about including Oliver Wood, but thankfully I was too focussed on my best friend.

"Don't worry Chrissie, I was never going to embarrass you!" she replied, with an indulgent smile on her face and I saw that both Tess and Jackie were laughing to themselves, Tess had her head on the table, while Jackie was clutching her stomach.

"I really worry about you three sometimes, you know that?" I muttered darkly watching them try and compose themselves, but Tess failed and began banging her head off the table. Merlin my friends were crazy. I noticed that Dumbledore had finished his speech and sensing that food was about to be served any moment and that Tess was still with her head on one of the empty plates, I quickly pulled her head up before it ended up covered in mashed potato. Really I was too kind to my rather ungrateful friends.

* * *

I placed the fork back on the plate in front of me, pushing the plate a bit away as I sighed. I rubbed my full belly and smiled serenely to myself. I loved that feeling of being full and having enjoyed delicious food. The House Elves always outdone themselves with the food and I more than appreciated it.

"Ow, my stomach hurts," Abby complained, sitting next to me and like me she was rubbing her stomach, though she had a pained expression on her face, which was unlike my own.

"Urgh I don't want to move, I'm too full!" Tess grumbled, her face scrunched up in annoyance.

"You guys eat far too much for your own good. No wonder your stomach is so sore, if you stretch the stomach lining so much it's bound to hurt," Jackie replied, raising her eyebrows at Tess and Abby.

"Tess, tell her to stop talking rubbish," Abby commented and instead Tess just chose to stick her tongue out at Jackie.

"Oh very mature, the two of you. I'm friends with a bunch of kids", Jackie retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Keep me out of it, I'm not complaining!" I piped up, yawning to myself. Eating always made me tired.

"Sorry Chrissie, I sometimes forget you can be quite reasonable", she added, though she was smirking and I just smirked back at her, deciding I'd let her off the hook for now.

"Come on let's leave the kids here and head on up before all the good sofas are gone", I said, getting up and tossing both Abby and Tess another pitying look before Jackie and I made our way out of the crowded Great Hall, chuckling to ourselves when we saw Percy Weasley trying desperately to control the gaggle of first years that were swarming all over the place.

I wondered at that moment why Jackie hadn't been made Head Girl for Gryffindor as opposed to Percy, because she was undoubtedly as smart as him and as responsible. But then again, I assumed, she hadn't quite descended to the neurosis Percy possessed.

We squeezed our way through the throng and were about to make our way up the grand staircase when I heard someone call my name out from behind.

"Chrissie wait up," a girl called out and I spun around to see Amelia Rosencrantz, a seventh year Hufflepuff running up behind us, panting slightly.

"Amelia, what's up?" I asked curiously.

"Jackie," she said out of breath, pushing her amber hair behind her ear. She smiled at Jackie and then added. "I've a huge favour to ask of you".

"You know what, I'm going to go on ahead and get us a nice sofa next to the fireplace. You go talk to Amelia alright?" Jackie spoke and we waved her off as she began climbing the staircase.

"So what's this favour exactly?"

"I don't know if you heard that we got the go-ahead from Sprout and Dumbledore to have a school newspaper late last year," she began and I eagerly nodded my head. I had heard about that and I congratulated her on her success. I knew the girl had been working on that for the better part of two years. Amelia waved away my comment and added in a hasty voice, "But the thing is the first issue is meant to be out in a week and we're short of some things. The Sports section still hasn't been finalised, we have no opinion editor, not to mention our photographer pulled out at the last second, like he literally told me ten minutes ago, but the point is I need a column writer."

I knitted my brows together in confusion and asked, "So what is it exactly you want of me?"

"I need you to write a column on whatever you want."

"You've got to be kidding me Amelia!" I cried in disbelief. "I'm not a writer, let alone a journalist, I have no experience, no idea what to write about, not to mention that the whole school will end up reading it, no way!"

"Christina please!" she cried desperately. "I'm desperate. I just need you to do it this one time. The newspaper comes out fortnightly and if you just do this for me once it'll give me enough time to find someone for the next issue. Please!"

"Amelia, I'll be honest with you, I really don't want to write something that the whole school will read knowing that I wrote it," I spoke and I knew it sounded silly and completely self-conscious, but the image of Oliver Wood laughing his head off and teasing me about what I wrote sprung to mind and the thought wouldn't let go.

"Well you can write under a pseudonym. No-one will ever know it's you," Amelia replied and I had to admit it would be a good solution, if I were to agree.

"But what would I write about? I haven't even got something that would be interesting to write about!"

"Oh come on it's not that hard. Just write whatever you feel is important at Hogwarts, really whatever you want. You can write about your digestive system for all I care Christina, I just really need you to do it!" Amelia cried. I felt bad saying no to her, she was a friend of mine and I could see she really needed my help, but the thought of writing a column?

"Come on be serious, tell me what I would write about?"

"Well write about school, classes, what you think of the new teachers, gossip you heard- whatever." Then she paused for a moment, a grin forming on her face as her eyes lit up. "Does that mean you'll do it?"

"Just one column, as a one-off thing, and about whatever I want, right?" I added, not quite believing she was asking this of me and that I was actually going along with it.

"Of course, whatever you want. Christina you're a star!" she replied ecstatically. She gave me a quick hug and then added. "Just make sure you hand it in to me before Friday evening alright? Oh thank you so much for doing this for me. Now I gotta run, see if I can catch up with Geoffrey and see won't he change his mind." I grinned at her and waved her off as she ran back down the hallway and ducked down some corridor. I turned around and started heading to the Gryffindor common room, not quite sure what I had gotten myself into.

Up on the eighth floor I caught up with Jackie, who seemed to have been waiting for me.

"So what did she want?" she asked, curious.

"Oh you wouldn't believe me if I told you!" replied, linking arms with her as we began walking on again. "I'll tell you when we're in the common room".

* * *

I couldn't believe my luck that the first day back at Hogwarts and I had managed to not only stay out of Oliver Wood's line of sight, and apart from the teasing I got from my friends I seemed to have gotten off scot-free with the whole snogging Oliver Wood last year. No-one had said a single word to me about it, and I was currently thanking the heavens or whatever was ruling over us for this brilliant piece of luck given to me, considering my usual record. I was happily singing a Muggle song by this artist called Brian Adams to myself, dancing around the dormitory in my oversized Smashing Pumpkins t-shirt and pyjama shorts while I was unpacking my trunk. The girls had already gotten into their beds, Jackie was in the process of applying some heavy-duty moisturiser type mask to her face, which made her look rather frightening, the white mask contrasting sharply with her red hair and the three big circles she left out around her eyes and mouth. Abby was flicking through her Wizarding magazines for an interesting article to read, her head propped on the pillow, while Tess was rooting through her bedside table for something, stopping occasionally to watch with an amused smile on her face, my ridiculous dancing and my attempts at singing, which was rather loud.

"_'Cos when the feeling's right, I'm gonna run all night, I'm gonna run to you..."_ my rather crass voice rang out through the dormitory and Abby sat up straight at this and rolled her eyes at me.

"Honestly Chrissie, you really need to learn how to sing," she began, but I grinned to myself and ignored her, folding up the last of my jeans and packing them neatly into my wardrobe.

"Guys," Tess piped up, pulling her head out of the bedside locker she had been rummaging through for the last few minutes, "Have any of you seen that book I was reading earlier, the one about the witch that got conned into buying an entirely made-up country?"

We all stop what we were doing and look at Tess, each of us wearing big grins for we all know how much fun we could have with this statement.

"Wait a minute Tess, you can read?" Jackie cried out shocked, the mask that was drying on her face beginning to crack from Jackie trying her hardest not to laugh.

"Are you serious it was an actual book? Was it leather bound and really big, with lots of pages, because as we've told you before three Witch Weeklys tied together don't constitute as a book!" Abby piped up, getting in on the act, and I'm about to add my two knuts to it, but nothing came to mind, so I just grinned broadly at the poor girl. In fairness to Tess, she's done a lot of teasing in her time and she knew how to act in this situation so any thought of feeling sorry for her went straight out the window for me.

She just remained perfectly calm and gave us all this serene smile, sitting on her bed and nodding her head.

"You take the fun out of teasing you," Jackie added, wiping the last of the dry residue from the mask of her face, which she then dumped into her small waste bin next to the bed. She tried her hardest to suppress a yawn, but failed, added a sleepy goodnight to us and rolled over, pulling the duvet up higher.

"Seriously, have you guys seen it?" she added. But I just shook my head and sighed.

"Give it up Tess, we're never going to think you actually read!" I replied, getting up to turn off the main lights so that the only ones left on were my bedside light and Tess'.

"I read for pleasure", came Tess' answer as Abby wished her goodnight. "Seriously guys!" she added, though the last one came out in a whine and I smiled to myself. The girl was not going to give up on this. By this point it seemed she was talking to herself for even Abby was lying back down in her bed and preparing to go to sleep.

"Chrissie," Tess spoke meekly, turning in her bed so she was facing me where I stood next to my bed. "Could you go down and get my school bag for me?"

"Why can't you get it?" I replied, pulling my head out of my trunk where I was looking for my quills.

"Because I'm all warm and comfy in my bed and you're still up. Please?" she cried, using her humblest tone of voice.

"Oh all right!, I relented, dropping the quills I had just discovered back in my trunk and pulling on my slippers. The door was open and I was out of the girls' dormitory before I could hear Tess' gratified thank you.

"I really need to learn how to grow a bloody backbone!" I sighed to myself as I descended the girls' staircase and walked into the common room.

"Now that would take all the fun out of life!" came a reply out of the gloomy darkness in which the common room was immersed. I immediately stopped walking, my heart skipping a beat. I knew that voice, and even if I didn't, the Scottish drawl was rather unmistakable.

_Okay, Chrissie, play it cool_, the inner monologue in my head began as I took a few steps towards the hearth, the dying embers giving off enough light for me to distinguish Oliver sitting on the largest sofa in front of the fire. He was still in his school uniform, charts and player strategies scattered all around him on the sofa. I sighed to myself, the boy was far too obsessed with Quidditch, which was a shame as he did look pretty hot sitting there in front of the fire, his hair ruffled and his tie askew, his shirt open a few buttons at the top so that I could see a bit of his upper torso.

"And I really wouldn't want to deprive you of your entertainment," I replied coolly, my hands on my hips as I approached him. "I mean it is my main purpose in life."

"Damn straight it is, Margate!" came his cocky reply, one eyebrow arched as he took in my appearance. I crossed my arms, feeling far too exposed in too short shorts as I looked pointedly down at him.

"I see your attitude hasn't changed over the summer," I remarked, a small smile curving at the edge of my lips. I didn't know why I was stopping to talk to him, but he just drew me in and I couldn't help myself.

"Well baby," he spoke, rising out of his seat and I unconsciously took a step back so I wouldn't be in too close proximity to him. "Admit it, that's what you love about me and it's what attracted you to me a few months ago." He was smirking at me, that damn eyebrow was still raised and I had to admit, he was incredibly good at this charming persona.

"Well you're very confident in yourself, might even be considered cocky," I replied, and then added, "And I'm not your baby!"

"You're quite spunky," he said, diverting my answer and I tried my hardest to suppress a smile at this, but he saw it and began grinning. "Now do tell me," he began, taking a step towards me, "What are you doing here in your pyjamas. Very sexy by the way, Christina."

I blushed deeply at his last remark and fumbled for an answer, but none came to me and I cursed my rather stupid brain.

"Cat got your tongue?" he offered, taking another step towards me, so that he was within arm's reach. I averted his eyes, but realised how silly that must seem so I caught his eyes and smirked back at him.

"No actually, I was trying to think of a way of replying without inflating that large ego of yours any more," I retorted, smiling to myself for the good comeback.

"Definitely spunky," Oliver replied, and reached out, his hands lightly caressing my upper arm. I was rooted on the spot, the confident smile sliding of my face as I tried to take in this new dynamic that Oliver Wood had introduced.

"You're far too sure of yourself Oliver," I replied, though the confidence in my voice was gone and I was almost certain he could hear it too. "One day a girl isn't going to fall for your charms and that will be a day you'll end up questioning your existence."

"That may very well be Christina," Oliver chuckled, taking another step towards me and I realised how small I was standing so close to him. "But it's not going to be here, today with you, right?" His delicate touch and fingertips traced their way up my arm, over my shoulder and my large t-shirt and gently resting at my neck. His touch sent shivers down my spine and I tried my hardest to suppress them so he wouldn't see the effect he was having on me. I kept his gaze, smiling slightly at him as I internally battled with myself on what I should do. I really should pull away, just to prove I wasn't just one of his girls, but my body and the other half of my mind, the rather girly hormonal one, refused to listen to the rational part of my brain. I knew he would try and kiss me, and all it would do is prove his point, and I couldn't let that happen. It was this thought that awoke the stubborn part of me and I smirked up at him, bringing my hand up to his chest, palm lying flat across his beating heart.

"Oh contraire Oliver," I replied, gathering up all my fortitude as I pushed him gently away from me, taking a step back. "I'm not one of those girls that falls for that line. I'm afraid that day is here and now." I sent one more smirk in his direction and walked around him, picking up Tess' school bag and making my way back up the girls' staircase, punching the air when he was out of sight, because I had gotten one up on him. What I didn't see though as I walked away was the intrigued look on Oliver's face as he watched me walk away from him. It was probably a good thing too. I didn't need that to complicate things between me and him any more.

* * *

_A/N's; Well here's my brand new story. This is the first time I've ever attempted a rom/com, so it's pretty scary, but I've been a fan of reading them for ages.  
A really big shout out to India, my very fabulous beta reader, who makes sure this story reaches it's full potential. _

_This story is dedicated and inspired by the brilliant works of Loui's_ A Seeker's Troubles_ and A Fountain Pen's_ Settling The Score_, whose stories introduced me to the wonderful world that is Oliver Wood. Oh where would the world be without him?  
So please read and review, tell me what you like or what you didn't. The second chapter will be coming along real soon!  
Until next time,  
Agrolass_


	2. Idiosyncrasies of Our Educational Years

_Disclaimer: The Harry Potter world and it's characters of course belong to JK Rowling, but the plot and article are mine. _

* * *

_Chapter 2 The Idiosyncrasies of Our Educational Years_

If I am honest with myself, I'm not the most studious of people you will ever meet at Hogwarts. Don't get me wrong; I'm not stupid. I'm just as my mother used to say, "filled to the brim with life but lacking academic drive." She was always a little crazy in my mind but back to the point. I had always enjoyed my time at Hogwarts, and I had my crazy yet brilliant friends to thank for that, but Professor McGonagall, probably my arch-nemesis throughout my years at school, had tried for six years, in vain might I add, to convert me to the idea of academia. The woman was brilliant; she could go from benign to a towering, six foot figure of authority, crackling with power and rage in six seconds flat; she never gave up on forcing us to do homework and learn our stuff, and she had a brilliant sarcastic sense of humour that could even put Fred and George Weasley to shame. Simply put, she always kept me on my toes. And I was glad to see that even though we were now seventh years, she had not given up on that and would probably make my year all the more difficult as such. You gotta love her style though!

Monday morning found Abby, Tess, Jackie and me sitting halfway down the Gryffindor table, huddled around each other deep in conversation. The boys were sitting a few seats up from where we were, surprise surprise, stuffing their faces, which was quite a disgusting sight. What was unusual about this--and unfortunately no, it was not the boys not knowing table manners. We had gotten used to that years ago--it was actually the brunette, well-kept mop of my male best friend, Aiden O'Caroll sitting with the boys, watching them gorge themselves on pancakes, syrup and gallons of orange juice, his green eyes wide with horror and a slightly sickening shade of green wash over his face. He caught my eye, a pleading look in his face, and I sent him a sympathetic smile.

At the start of every school year the Gryffindor boys, namely Ethan Quinn and Oliver and whatever boys felt the need to tag along in that little circle of friends, would usually tease Aiden for always hanging out with us girls, so the poor boy was forced to pretend to be all palsy with them for the first few days of school. I really did feel sorry for him, but he needed to grow more of a backbone and stop worrying what the other lads were going to think of him. I sent him another sympathetic smile, and I was about to get up and go over to him, but Oliver Wood stopped me when he looked up to see what had drawn Aiden's attention away. There was a curious look on his face, and I quickly sat down again, turning my attention back to Abby and Tess who were arguing over something trivial. I had gotten one up on him last night, but I was still a little too cautious to relax just yet. Instead my attention was diverted by Professor McGonagall making her way down the Gryffindor table, handing out timetables. She paused momentarily where we were sitting and looked imperiously down her spectacles from her impressive height.

"Miss Stevens, your schedule, and well done on having your article published," she spoke, handing Jackie her timetable. Jackie took it and smiled at Professor McGonagall, replying in a very polite tone.

"Thank you, Professor. I really didn't expect to make the grade for Transfiguration Today," she replied, and I smirked. As much as I loved Jackie, she sure knew how to make herself look good for a teacher. I was about to come back with a good comment under my breath to whisper to Abby, but I stopped when I saw that McGonagall was peering down at me.

"Miss Margate," McGonagall spoke, her voice dropping a few pitches in a matter of seconds, her lips pursed into a thin line. I had to admit; it was quite a sight, seeing her demeanour change from her favourite student to me, the girl that she never quite succeeded with. It was an amusing thought to think our mutual dislike of each other may be, on her side, the fact that I was the only student she never quite managed to convert to her standards. But then again my imagination could be running away with me again. I instead chose to focus on reality and McGonagall who was still peering down at me over her spectacles, her gaze firm as if she knew I wasn't paying her any attention. Merlin, that woman was good at staring! I bit back a smile; it would not be a good start to the year if I ended up in her bad books already; not that I ever left them in the first place, come to think of it. I just waited until she pulled out her schedule.

"I see your attention span has improved over the summer," she spoke in that commanding tone of hers as I shook my head slightly to try and keep myself in the real world. "I daresay we shall be seeing some O's in some of your classes this year, I presume?" And I had to smile at that. You never quite knew whether she was being serious or sarcastic. I took the schedule she held out for me, paused a moment, and then replied in a complacent tone.

"I could do that, Professor," and then added in a slightly worried voice, "but who would give out to me and make sure I stay in line?"

Professor McGonagall just peered down at me, deigning not to reply to this, though before she continued down the table I could swear she was trying her hardest to suppress a smile.

I had to smile at that.

* * *

School. You know for a system that we take part in for the better part of thirteen years, people have some strange feelings about it. I mean, there are the go-getters of the world that you find in every school or educational institute: someone like our current Head Boy, Percy Weasley, that see school as a stepping stone to greatness, a place to gather as much knowledge and information as humanly possible and then use it to lord over others. Other people see it as probably the greatest thing you will ever take part in and as such join every club, society and team they can get their over-eager hands on, namely quite a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. For others school is nothing more than a prison and a restraint on their creativity or individuality and as such their school experience has been tainted by their own expectations or the actions of others. Luckily I belonged to none of those three categories, and I had the leisure of floating through my Hogwarts experience with little attention being focussed on me. I was never studious enough to really strive for intellectual greatness, as Professor Snape would frequently remind me, so I did not have to live with the title of being a stooge. Thankfully, I was also not neurotic enough to actually believe Hogwarts would be the best thing to happen to me; that and I was just too lazy to really commit myself to any clubs or teams. That can easily be seen with my rather lacklustre attempt at joining the Gryffindor Quidditch team back in third year. When it comes to the third category, I was lucky that I had good friends and very few bullying incidents in my six years of attending Hogwarts, so I would hopefully never be jaded enough to believe that school years are nothing more than a torture device created by others. As such I couldn't really empathise with anyone of those three categories, but one person I knew could. That was the boy named Nathan Moore who was currently sitting at our usual spot in the empty Ancient Runes classroom at quarter to nine on the morning of our first day back at school.

I crept quietly into the classroom, making sure he wouldn't hear me, my Keds not making a single sound as I quietly walked up behind him, and before he realised another person was behind him or even in the room, I clapped my hands over his eyes.

"Guess who?" I squeaked, a large grin on my face.

Poor Nathan nearly jumped out of his chair in fright but calmed down and replied, "You do realise the object of the game is lost as soon as you speak, Christina." I laughed at his reply; it was such a rational and Nathan-like thing to say. He and Jackie would get on like a house on fire, but to my disappointment nothing had ever happened there. The boy was just too damned shy! I pulled myself back to reality and let go of his face, taking the chair next to him. After I had dropped my school bag on the table I threw myself at him and hugged him fiercely, not letting go.

"It's so good to see you again, Nathan. I've missed you!" I spoke into his chest, my voice considerably muffled, and I could feel he was tensing at my hug. I slowly let go of him and sat up straight in my chair, a broad grin on my face.

"One day, you're going to have to learn to get used to the opposite sex!"

"Yes, well, erm," a very flustered Nathan replied, and I couldn't help but laugh some more. He took his glasses off his face and set about cleaning them with the sleeve of his school jumper, a sure-fire sign that he was feeling slightly uncomfortable. The boy was too easy to read. Nathan was just too adorable when he was embarrassed, and I really wasn't making it any easier on him by still laughing, so I schooled my features and instead chose to smile at him.

"Well, it's nice to see you, too, Christina," Nathan replied, a lot more composed though I could tell he was still blushing as he placed the glasses back on the bridge of his nose. "How was Marseilles?"

"Oh, you know. Hot, sunny, filled with even hotter boys that turned out mostly to be gay. It was just so unfair!" I replied, shaking my head at this.

"Well, yes, I imagine that would put a damper on the holiday. Did you manage to go and see the famed Wizarding Orchestra of Marseilles?" he spoke, his expression curious.

"No, I missed that," I replied, rolling my eyes; typical Nathan to ask me whether I saw the most boring thing there. In truth my parents went a few times and told me how absolutely wonderful it had been, what an educational experience it had been, and as soon as those words left my mother's mouth I knew it was the last place I should be.

"Well how about their Museum of Magical Antiquity? I hear they got a new collection in from Egypt a few months ago, and in their possession is Cleopatra's very own wand!" Nathan said, and I vaguely thought to myself that that boy should get his head out of a book more often and socialise more. "Or how about the Muggle Palace de Justice? It may be for the Muggles, but the architecture is impressive!"

"Nathan, hold on a moment," I interrupted, my hands in the air. "This is me you're talking to; Christina. Do you honestly think I would bother going to all those places?"

"No, I suppose you're right," he acquiesced, blushing slightly, but I detected a smile also so I wasn't too worried that I had offended him.

"Say, Nathan," I began, a plan forming in my head, one that I rather liked the look of. I had been hoping that Nathan and Jackie would get together for a long time now; they were just perfect for each other, and it was about time that something happened there. I mean, this is our last year and if they won't realise they would make a great match, well then, as a good friend to both, it should be my duty to set them up! "Did you hear about Jackie getting her article published in Transfiguration Today?"

"Yes, I read the edition when it came out. It's very impressive, and she gave a very good hypothesis-" But I cut Nathan off because I really wasn't all that interested to hear Nathan tell me all about it as Jackie had already sent me a lengthy letter on it over the summer, not to mention I had read the article when it came out.

"Yes, it was. She's been so excited about it all summer. You and her are so alike in that way. Say, why don't you write an article together for that magazine?"

"Christina," Nathan replied, pushing his glasses further up his nose, "I don't think that's quite how it works, you know." He had a pitying look on his face, and I knew I had just embarrassed myself in some way or another.

"Well, I was just thinking, the both of you are always going on about new theories and experiments and whatnot. I just thought you should try working together," I replied, going on the defensive.

Nathan paused for a moment, thinking then added, "You know it's not such a bad idea, Christina. I'll ask her for some help. I've been working on this new Charm for months, but I've been having a few problems with the wording and the intention of it. It keeps backfiring and causing the object to double itself. I know Charms isn't what she's best at, but I'll see if she has any ideas."

"You do that," I spoke, smiling, while all the time thinking they were both such nerds. How did Nathan even become study buddy and friends with me? We stopped our conversation when the rest of the class began entering the Ancient Runes classroom.

Then Nathan turned to face me again, a smirk on his face as he asked me, "Say what's this I hear about you and Oliver Wood hooking up?"

I just scowled at him.

* * *

"Christina, wait!" I heard a voice call out behind me, and I paused in mid stride, swinging my school bag higher up on my shoulder and turned around to see that Oliver Wood was coming up behind me. His confident, fast stride meant that I probably couldn't outrun him, and since I had turned around I couldn't pretend like I didn't hear him. Becoming very self-conscious all of a sudden, I tried to straighten out my unruly hair so I wouldn't look like a complete mess. In truth Oliver had caught me at a rather inopportune moment; we had just finished a rather messy class in Herbology, and I probably still had dirt in my hair, not to mention that my sleeve and skirt were covered in mud. I had been trying to go unnoticed back to the common room to change and clean myself up, but no, Oliver had to come and find me when I looked so horribly messy.

"I'm in a bit of a rush, Oliver. What is it?" I asked quickly, hoping he didn't notice how desperate that sounded. I looked him over and saw that his uniform was impeccable; there was not a piece of dirt or smudge anywhere, and unlike my own messy and dirty hair, his was charmingly staying in place, the tie and shirt slightly open to reveal part of his collarbone.

He stopped right in front of me. The boy really didn't know anything about personal space, did he, because he was within arm's reach, and I started growing quite uncomfortable.

"Herbology, was it?" he asked, eyes sparkling and an amused smile on his face. I just nodded in reply, not quite trusting my voice. He was too close and for some reason I couldn't understand, I was feeling a lot more awkward around him than I used to. It didn't help that he looked incredibly hot right now, and I felt the exact opposite.

"Wait you got a bit there," he spoke and took another step towards me, now incredibly close, that smile of his broadening. He brought his hand out and wiped something away from my cheek, so close I could feel his breath tickling my face. As slowly as he reached out, he pulled his hand back and showed me the clump of dirt that I had had on my face. I blushed deep red and looked down at my shoes. Even wiping dirt of my face was hot when he did it.

"Now, Miss Margate," he began in an amused tone, and I looked up at that, wondering what he was going to say, but somehow I could sense that it was not going to be good. "Since I've got you as putty in my hands, are you sure you don't want to reconsider that offer from last night?"

I glowered at him, crossing my arms across my chest, and I sent him an annoyed look. "I am not putty in your hands!" I retorted, sticking my chin out in defiance. "You're a prat, you know that, Oliver?"

"Are you sure? I can be very persuasive," he replied in that cocky tone of his, and I glared at him.

"Positive. Now if you'll excuse me," I added and turned around, making my way back to the common room, but before I took more than three steps I heard his voice, and involuntarily I stopped, my back still to him.

"And I'm not a prat," he added. I smiled at this and continued on, suddenly feeling a whole load better.

* * *

"Well, I think you should keep it up!" Tess replied huffily, folding her arms across her chest, that vibrant blonde hair of hers swinging around as she spun around on her seat so she was facing the blackboard once more.

"Well, I'm not going to listen to you!" I retorted breezily, a smug smile on my face.

"Come on, Jackie, Abby, back me up on this. Don't you think she should keep writing the article?" Tess exclaimed, ignoring me and instead focussing on Jackie who was sitting next to her and Abby who was next to me. We were currently in our last afternoon class of the day, History of Magic, and since no-one ever paid attention in that class, we were free to speak to each other quietly without disruption.

"I think Chrissie would be marvellous at writing a column," Jackie spoke, adding her two knuts to the conversation.

"You know, Chrissie, they're right. You should really do it," Abby added, pointing her reply in my direction.

"Guys I haven't even written the first article yet. What makes you think I would even be good at keeping this up? For starters I don't have a pseudonym," I spoke, shaking my head at their inability to comprehend my reluctance at taking it up.

"What about Calliope?" Jackie asked, and all of us stopped talking for a moment and fixed our gazes on her.

"Sorry?" I asked, confused.

"What about Calliope as your pseudonym?"

"Who is that?" Tess asked, her nose crinkling in confusion.

"It's from Greek mythology. Calliope was the chief of the seven Muses, and she represented inspiration for the overall creative arts and especially elegiac and epic poetry," Jackie clarified, and we all stared at her for a moment, not quite sure where that came from.

"Is this Muggle mythology?" Abby asked.

"Yeah," Jackie replied, "So what?"

"Well it's a bit obscure, isn't it?" Abby replied, raising an eyebrow.

"So?"

"I like it. I think it's very pretty, Jackie," I replied, breaking up the squabble that was growing between Abby and Jackie. "Plus, it fits."

"See?" Jackie proclaimed, pointing her remark in Abby's direction.

"I ran into Oliver Wood today after Herbology," I said, hoping to dispel the tension that had been caused by Abby's and Jackie's squabble.

"Ooh, what happened?" Tess added, eyes wide. "Was this right after Herbology when you were covered in dirt?"

"Yeah," I replied, blushing at the memory. "He came up to me and wiped a bit of dirt off my cheek and then proceeded to try and seduce me or whatever he was playing at." The blush that had formed on my cheeks from remembering how close he was soon turned into blotches of red caused by anger as I remembered his stupid suggestion.

"I really don't get that boy!" I cried out huffily. "I mean, I turn him down and that's usually it for guys, but he just won't get it into his head that it was just a silly mistake!"

"Chrissie's got the hots for Oliver!" Tess said in a song-song voice, sighing dreamily to herself. I looked over and saw that Jackie and Abby were smirking at me, though Abby's smirk was more pronounced.

"That is just so hot; oh, my God, I wish I had someone like that," Tess continued on, not even realising no-one else was speaking.

"Really, Tess, it was nothing. I think you're just blowing this way out of proportion," I replied, hoping to get that girl to see sense again which admittedly might be quite hard, considering she never saw sense.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Abby began, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I think Tess might be right about this. If it really didn't bother you about Oliver, you wouldn't have brought it up, and you wouldn't be sitting here all pissed off at him which in fairness is just displaced desire to rip his pants off!" The girl sure knew how to be subtle.

Jackie just nodded her head sagely at this, acting like what Abby was saying was the wisest thing in the world.

"Seriously, guys, it's nothing like that. He just wants to get under my skin," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"More like get under your pants!" Tess had the biggest grin on her face.

"Tess, the phrase is get into your pants," Abby added.

"I was trying to tie it in with what she said," she replied, annoyed, then realised who she was teasing and that frown was replaced by a wide grin. "But either way he so wants to do her, and it's just so much fun to watch it happen."

"What's even more amusing is that Chrissie wants to do the same thing to him," Jackie spoke, grinning also.

"I do not!" I cried out, scandalised.

"Oh, come on, you so do!" Abby proclaimed loudly, "You wanna drag that boy into a dark broom closet and have your way with him!"

It was then that I realised how loud we had been talking, and I quickly added, "Shh, be quiet; Oliver is sitting only a few seats away from us." I looked around to see if he had realised we were talking about him and realised with a sinking heart that he had just looked over at me. He gave me a wink, that damn smirk on his face again, and I rolled my eyes, looking away, both embarrassed and annoyed.

The girls, who caught the entire exchange, start laughing, and I promptly ignored them, focussing my attention on the three lines I'd written for History of Magic. Abby poked me in the side, all three still laughing their heads off, and I sent them a glare.

"Oh, grow up, you three!"

After about a few minutes of laughing they thankfully stopped giggling to themselves, having realised that teasing without my responding was no fun.

"Hey, guys, we're seventh years now!" Tess proclaimed.

"Well done for realising that, Tess!" Abby's sarcastic remark came in reply.

"I know that, but did you ever think about what that means? I mean, we're the top of the social hierarchy in Hogwarts now," Tess responded.

"Finally!" I cried.

"You know, you're right." Jackie added, "I mean we are also the oldest group in this school now, save for the teachers."

"Who, let's face it, are ancient!" Abby spoke.

"We've got the 7C," Tess said.

"Not to mention we're in our last year," I added, and we all stopped to think of this strange revelation. This year would be the last year we would do a lot of things.

"Is it just me, or are the first years absolutely tiny?" Tess exclaimed.

"I swear they're shrinking!" Abby added, and we all nodded our heads, contemplating this.

"Psst!" a voice came from behind us, breaking our thoughts, and we all turned around to see a seventh year Hufflepuff I knew by sight but never talked to.

"Christina, are you going out with Oliver Wood?" she asked, brushing her black hair behind her ear.

"No!" I replied angrily, "Why would you think that?"

The girl looked slightly frightened by my ferocity and added quickly, "It's just you two apparently hooked up end of last year, and everyone's talking about it, saying you're going out."

"We are not going out," I spoke with forced calm, rolling my eyes and turning back to face the blackboard.

All three girls were smirking at this, and I just ranted, "I swear to Merlin, Wood is behind this!"

"Wood?" Abby asked confused. "Whatever happened to Oliver?"

"I don't like him, and he doesn't deserve me calling him by his first name," I replied stubbornly. The girls, sensing that I wouldn't see reason and that I was in my own world, turned to each other and started whispering about Sirius Black and the Dementors, completely ignoring me in the process, but I was too pissed off at Wood or whoever had started telling the whole school to really mind.

* * *

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" the commanding tone of our new Head Boy, Percy Weasley called out. I sighed to myself, taking a deep breath and hoping he would just let it go, but no he wouldn't.

"I said where do you think you're going?"

I turned around and shot him a look, adding, "Percy it's me, lay off will you? It's only seven pm and you can't possibly start giving out to me for walking the corridors now!"

"Oh, Christina, I didn't recognise you from behind," he added, his voice a lot softer than before as he walked up to me. "But you do know what Professor Dumbledore said about walking in the school on your own."

"No, I don't, but I'm sure you're about to tell me!" I added, my voice sickeningly sweet.

"No student is allowed to walk the school corridors on their own after the sun goes down; you heard Professor Dumbledore."

"Thank you for the tip, Percy, now if you'll excuse me," I said and began walking down the corridor again.

"I will be forced to take house points off you!" he called out, his tone imperious.

"No, you won't!" I shouted back at him, spinning around so he could see the glare I was sending his way. "Don't think that just because we're in the same house that I'm going to forget all the times you were an ass to me since you got that stupid Prefect's badge and that I'm not going to tell you to get a life and stop bugging mine!"

"Hey, Christina," he called out, and I spun around one more time. "I heard about you and Oliver Wood!" He was wearing a smug grin that I wanted nothing more than to wipe off his face.

I glowered at him, the irrational part of my brain taking over as I called him an idiot and proceeded back to the Gryffindor Tower, my mood suddenly a lot blacker. As I turned the corner I could faintly hear Percy shouting out something about ten points from Gryffindor, but I didn't really care.

* * *

I entered the common room that evening like a thunder storm in full swing, my temper bristling with electricity, the portrait door slamming behind me with such force quite a few heads were raised at this, but I was too pissed off to notice. My amber eyes flashed dangerously as I spotted my friends lounging on a large sofa, all three lying rather haphazardly over it, and I made my way over to them, hands on my hips for a better effect. I have to admit, I do ferocious very well even if it did make me look a little over-dramatic.

They spotted my approach and were either oblivious to my rage or more likely ignoring it, greeting me with a happy chorus of, "Hey, Chrissie."

"Come sit down; Tess has got gossip for us already, and it's only the first day," Abby exclaimed, making room for me on that slightly cramped sofa. She then turned her attention on Tess and added, "Seriously, how do you do it?"

Tess just smiled serenely, but I was growing more aggravated at their inability to recognise my anger.

"Seriously, guys!" I exclaimed loudly, my temper overriding any sense I had at that moment. "Who told the entire school about me and Wood?" I burst out loudly, my gaze ferocious.

I only dimly realised at that moment that most of the common room were curiously watching me, wondering why I was so pissed off and now the whole common room was deadly quiet. I could even hear the logs crackling gently in the hearth. I looked around and saw that every eye was trained on me. Oh, shit!

Abby was the first to speak, and by the fact that she was rolling her eyes I knew I was about to feel the full brunt of my self-induced humiliation.

"Chrissie, you probably should have said that a little quieter because not everyone in school knows, but thanks to your outburst it's only a matter of time before they all will." Her calm and sensible manner made me feel a little ridiculous for my outburst.

"But I've had at least three completely different people ask me the same thing today, and how could they be connected?" I implored, hoping to retain some shred of my dignity.

"Chrissie, people talk and, let's face it, you were quite public about it when you snogged Oliver in front of the entire Gryffindor party. Just be glad he's not here right now to hear your moment of temporary insanity," Abby replied.

"Oh, dear Merlin, what did I do?" I sighed, slumping down in the space next to Abby and Tess, my head in my hands. Abby, being the sympathetic best friend she is, wrapped her arms around me as I laid my head on her shoulder. Tess gave my hands a squeeze. I just closed my eyes and hoped against hope that maybe no-one would hear about it, Oliver would grow bored and everyone would go back to thinking of me as another student at Hogwarts.

* * *

I curled my toes under the cushions into which I had burrowed my feet on the three-seater sofa, my legs stretched out, a scrap of parchment balanced on my stomach. I twirled my quill through my fingertips, mind blank and eyes occasionally going back to the four words I had managed to write on the parchment: "First Column by Calliope." I had been sitting there on the sofa for the last fifteen minutes, and I still had no clue what to write about.

"Bloody article!" I grumbled to myself.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" the low timbre of Aiden O'Carroll, my male best friend called out. I raised my head, grinning from ear to ear as I spotted him leaning over the back of the sofa trying to read what I had written. I squealed, sat up straight and launched myself at him, hugging him fiercely, and Aiden let out a chuckle at my melodrama. I ruffled his well-kept mahogany hair, twirling the scattered curls around my fingers as I took in the light stubble gracing his square jaw line; his sparkling green eyes filled with delight.

"Come sit down. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to you since we got back," I implored, lifting my legs up to allow him to sit down on the sofa, and once he was seated I let my legs fall back down onto his lap.

"So tell me, what's the story, other than the fact that the whole school seems to be quite interested in you and Oliver Wood," he chuckled, and I lightly whacked his arm at the comment.

"Why is everyone so obsessed with me and Wood, seriously?" I exclaimed and then sighed. Aiden just sat there with an amused expression on his face, not saying a thing. "Since you seem to get a kick out of it like everyone else, then tomorrow should be an absolute dream for you!"

"What did you do this time?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Why does everyone always immediately assume it was something I did?" I cried out, slightly peeved, and he gave me a look to suggest we both knew it was always my fault. "Alright then," I relented and proceeded to tell him the story of my embarrassment earlier in the evening in the common room and Wood and his antics. He just smiled as I told him all the news of the last few days and those that I forgot to tell him about from the summer. All the time Aiden sat listening patiently, his fingers drumming on my shins.

"So that's what you were swearing about earlier, the article?" he asked, picking up the scrap parchment that I had been trying to write my article on.

"Basically, I have no idea what to write about, and Amelia told me I could write about anything, even school, if it suited me; she just wants it by Friday," I replied, shrugging and twirling the quill through my fingers again.

"Well why don't you write about school or the Hogwarts school experience," Aiden asked, and I looked up at him, thinking for a moment.

"I mean, you're always going on about the peculiarity of going to school at Hogwarts. Why not write about that?" he added, and suddenly a light bulb switched on in my brain as I grinned at him.

"Aiden, you're a genius!" I replied eagerly as I picked up a book and dumped it on my stomach, placing the parchment on top, and I began furiously scribbling on it. We sat like that for about five minutes, neither of us talking. I was writing my article so fast that thoughts didn't seem to want to be contained long enough for me to put them onto parchment, and Aiden, I saw by the occasional side glance I sent him, was staring off into space, his fingers still absently tapping my legs, seemingly deep in thought. I smiled at this and returned to my article that was growing quite fast now that I had a topic to write on.

"So tell me about Oliver Wood then," Aiden said, tapping my legs. I groaned at the mention of my least favourite topic at the moment, pausing for a second in my writing to give him an answer.

"What, other than I made a complete fool of myself, and thanks to me the whole school knows, and he just won't let it go?" I replied, eyebrows raised.

"So Abby wasn't exaggerating when she said you were disgruntled about it," Aiden laughed, and I glared at him.

"Oh come, Chrissie, lighten up and don't take it personally." Aiden was probably the only person who would ever put me back in my place if I were out of line, and no matter how harsh it may sound coming from him, I loved him all the more for it.

"I just don't get him!" I commented, cringing at how whiny my voice sounded.

"Well, you want me to explain it to you?" he asked, and I gave him a look that said I wanted nothing more. "Oliver's completely into you."

"What?" I snorted, laughing at the absurdity of the claim. "As if! That is not the behaviour of someone who's _into you_!" I added, making quotation marks with my hands at the last two words. Sometimes Aiden really could come out with the most ridiculous of things.

"Don't believe me then," he replied calmly, and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Aiden, listen," I began, dropping my quill onto the parchment and giving him my complete attention. "Wood's a playboy. He likes conquests, and he got me which, by the way, will never be happening again, and now not only does he like to parade it around the entire school, but he knows that I think of it as a mistake so he deliberately goes out to annoy me as much as possible about it. I've basically turned into an amusement for the guy; that's it, no emotions, no feelings and certainly nothing to suggest he's _into me._"

"I'll admit the guy's not the sharpest tool in the box, and you're probably right when he says he does it to annoy you, but I stand by what I said. The guy is into you, and whether you like him back or not, you're gonna have to get used to him trying to piss you off because I doubt he's going to stop any time soon, seeing as he gets such a good rile out of you. Best thing to do is learn to ignore it."

"You know what, you're right!" I replied. "That's exactly what I'm going to do from now on." I gave Aiden an appreciative smile and continued writing my article.

* * *

"Are you nervous?"

"No," I replied, ignoring the worried look Abby was sending me. It was eight in the morning, and I was quite surprised with myself that I had woken up so early this morning, but then again it could have had something to do with the fact that I was tossing and turning all night and couldn't go back to sleep at six in the morning.

"You've no reason to be scared," Tess said, leaning over the Gryffindor table from where she was sitting opposite me and gave my arm a squeeze.

"I'm not," I replied, trying to force another mouthful of corn flakes down my throat. I wasn't having much luck eating this morning.

"It's alright if you're worried, Chrissie. Vocalise it if you're feeling apprehensive," Jackie spoke, peering at me over her glass of pumpkin juice.

"I'm fine," I replied, avoiding my friends' eye contact and instead choosing to look around the Great Hall for Amelia, the editor, and her minions of paper boys.

"Chrissie, are you sure you're fine because I don't think so. There's no reason to be worried," Abby piped up.

"Guys, stop it will you!" I cried, exasperated, dropping my spoon into my half-finished bowl of cereal. "I'm okay. I'm not going to freak out, and it's just a bloody column. Most people don't even read the opinion section of the paper!"

"I do," Tess replied, and Abby shot her a look to tell her to drop it.

"What?" she added, confused and instead of arguing over it she continued buttering her toast.

"Oh there's Amelia," I cried out, sitting up straight in my seat and watching apprehensively as she and a few Hufflepuff students she had enlisted as paper boys walked into the Great Hall, each levitating a large stack of newspapers. They split into four groups and began making their way down the house tables. Amelia and a Hufflepuff boy I didn't recognise made their way down the Gryffindor table and when she reached us I shot her a nervous look.

"It's good," she muttered under her breath, sending me a comforting smile, adding in a louder voice. "First edition of the Hogwarts News, guys." She pulled out a copy for each of us and handed them around. I eagerly opened my copy and began scanning the front pages for anything trivial, slightly afraid of looking at my own column in case it seemed worse than I thought it was.

"Ah, Oliver," Amelia called out, and I momentarily pulled my head out of the paper to see Oliver Wood sauntering along the Gryffindor table giving Amelia a winning smile as he took his copy of the newspaper of her.

"Am I in the sports section, Amelia?" he enquired jovially, and Amelia laughed in reply.

"I'm afraid not Oliver; you actually have to win a match first," she replied, smiling up at him.

"You break my heart!" he replied dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. Amelia laughed one more time and continued on down the Gryffindor table, and I secretly hoped, my head stuck back behind the paper, that Oliver Wood would follow her, but I heard the bench scrape as he sat himself down next to Tess and across from me. I ignored him and turned the page, seeing my article for the first time since I handed it in to Amelia last Friday. It was running along the side of the page and where usually my picture would have been, they placed a big question mark and the name Calliope.

"It's not that bad," Abby whispered, leaning in closer to me, and I gulped and nodded my head, afraid that if I began talking I might throw up; I was that nervous. Tess glimpsed furtively over at Oliver sitting next to her, and when she saw he was busy reading the sports section she sent me a warming smile. My own smile in reply felt strained.

"Anyway," Jackie began, hoping to change the subject back to something a little more comfortable. "I'm looking forward to Defence Against The Dark Arts today. Did you hear the third years had Professor Lupin a few days ago, and they were working with Boggarts. Apparently some boys' Boggart was Professor Snape, and they dressed him in women's clothing and a bird's hat."

"That I would pay to see," Abby laughed, and I pulled my head out of the paper to listen in to the conversation.

"Snape," Tess remarked and shuddered. "I can understand why that boy had him as his Boggart. He's creepy and scary and thrives on it." Abby nodded her head at this.

At that moment Oliver chose to pull his head out of the paper, he folded it up neatly and laid it down next to him, concentrating on his breakfast. After a few bites, he paused and looked over at me, adding, "What's with Christina; she's never this quiet."

"She's fine, Oliver," Jackie replied, leaning over to give my hand a squeeze. "She's just a little nervous."

"Of what?" Oliver asked, crinkling his brow in such a way it made him look quite adorable at that moment. He then began grinning and added, "Don't tell me it's the thought of the big bad wolf, Professor Snape." He then winked at me and added, "Don't worry, Christina, I'll protect you from him."

"Oh shut it, Wood!" I growled, narrowing my eyes and then proceeded to ignore him.

"Wood, eh?" he asked, eyebrow raised, and I just rolled my eyes and began reading the paper again.

"Oh, Margate, you never cease to amaze me," he added airily, acting all dramatic, and I had to suppress a smile at his antics. He shouldn't see that I might occasionally find him funny. I was saved thankfully from anything else that I might do to embarrass myself when Aiden came into the Great Hall, a copy of the Hogwarts News in his hand. He stopped next to where I sat, grabbed my hand and began hauling me out of the seat.

"Aiden, wait, what's the matter?" I cried out, but he waved the paper at me, and I nodded my head, comprehension dawning on me as I let myself be pulled out of the Great Hall.

"Wow, Chrissie," he said as soon as we were passed the threshold of the Great Hall. "That's really good!"

"You think so?" I asked a little sceptically.

"Definitely!" he replied enthusiastically and he began unfolding the newspaper, opening it to the page of my article and held it open for me to see.

_**Calliope's Guide to Hogwarts**_

_The Idiosyncrasies of Our Educational Years_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Currently in existence approximately one thousand years and that means roughly one hundred and fifty thousand students have gone through this school, leaving not only their mark on it, but ageing it also. For a place that has been open for so long you would expect it to have its traditions, for example every student is aware that the Whomping Willow should be avoided at all costs, being taught History of Magic by a ghost has become a norm to its students, the rivalry between the houses is central and the many creatures that roam its corridors all constitute to make it a very unique experience of your school years at Hogwarts. _

_Most of the teachers never change, in fact they are at times the only consistent factor in our ever-changing world, with the exception of the post of D.A.D.A. In fact some teachers change so little, that it is said when Professor Binns died, apart from the funeral that was held for him, the only thing that changed about him was that he was now see-through and a ghost. The man did not change in any way upon death and now as a ghost he was as monotonous and boring as in life. They have become characters themselves, larger than life in a way and everyone has their own special memories, whether good or bad and memorable events that included one of the Hogwarts staff. My very own memorable experience happened to me late into my fourth year when I was caught out of bounds late at night by none other than Professor Dumbledore himself. He accosted me deep in the bowels of the dungeons, perilously close to the Slytherin common room with a pile of Filibuster's Fireworks under one arm and a stolen Slytherin school uniform under the other. He had informed me in that serene tone of his, that I was not only walking in the wrong direction of the Slytherin common room, but that the password to their common room which I had obtained had been changed earlier that day. At the time I was just glad he let me of with a caution and confiscated my gear, but to this day I wonder what the elusive Headmaster was doing down in the dungeons late at night and how exactly he knew what I was planning. But its the ever-changing Professors for the D.A.D.A. position that is perhaps the most curious and mystifying of idiosyncrasies. As long as I can remember, and in fact as long as anyone I know can remember, no Professor has lasted more than a year in the post. There have been many rumours and urban legends as to why, some say the position is cursed while others say its a big conspiracy plot devised by previous Headmasters that has been carried on to the present day. Whatever the reason, it has fascinated students and staff alike for many years and for that reason alone the story has survived so long._

_Another long instituted tradition, that of Prefects and Head Boy and Head Girl, according to __Hogwarts; A History__ tells us this practice has been in existence almost as long as the school has. Prefects chosen, are to be expected to be the best, brightest and most socially responsible of the year and house and the position of Head Boy or Head Girl is so prestigious only the best of the select few are chosen. To say that the majority of these former Head Boys and Head Girls went on to achieve great things is a given, but the downside to this is it also breeds a superiority among those elect few deemed worthy enough, that not only gives them the opportunity to exploit their position of power, but is also responsible for growing some quite large egos. This is quite an oddity that Hogwarts had fostered over the centuries, these positions of power given to those deemed socially responsible enough can actually cause the very irresponsibility the appointment to this position was meant to avoid. On a lighter note another tradition that seems connected with the position of Head Boy and Head Girl is the tradition that both Heads invariably end up dating. Maybe it's the privilege of their position, or the long hours spent working together, but quite a large percentage of our former Heads have dated and gone on to have lasting relationships with each other. If you don't quite believe me, all you have to do is look at our current Heads, Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater._

_Even our very own education system here at Hogwarts has idiosyncrasies, if you're not inclined to call them flaws. It's not so much that there are inconsistencies in the education system, just that it seems to be singular aim orientated. The emphasis on the theoretical, and on the flip side, some subjects' emphasis on the practical has meant that creativity has been all but removed from our curriculum. Added to this is the sense of exclusiveness Hogwarts breeds as being the only school of magic in Britain and Ireland, which means that only those eligible by being magically capable enough were sent a letter of invitation. But what about those who don't? Those stragglers that are Squibs or just not magically intelligent enough, are they doomed to their lower status for the rest of their lives? The only option for them is apprenticeships to go into trade. But I'm not here to wax lyrics about the injustice of our education system, though it should be noted that this injustice does exist, rather I want to give a wider picture of the peculiarities of our school._

_Probably the most common and most widespread idiosyncrasy of any person's education years will be the school hierarchy that exists in every institute of education. We all know about the popular people in school, there are the incredibly intelligent, the downright stupid people, the bullies, those sports obsessed and all those many people that fall through the cracks, that can either not be categorised, are forgotten about or just not deemed entertaining enough to be high on people's consciousness. At the top of the ladder that is our social hierarchy are the seventh years for the simple reason that they are the oldest, have been at the school the longest and as such are deemed the wisest and given the most respect. That is quite normal in itself, after surviving seven years at Hogwarts, you would expect the school body to look up to you and respect you. Along with those people, and depending on the mood of the student body, the next category are the Quidditch players. Like in every school those that play sport are given preference over the rest, but with Hogwarts this can become slightly obsessive. When a team wins a lot of matches for their house, they are adored and revered, parties are thrown in their honour and the players get nothing but respect for the next week or so, but it can easily turn. If a team and a house loses, spectacularly at that, they are shunned, blamed for their foolish mistakes and that same crowd that adored them will turn on them just as fast. Fame is a fickle thing, the same goes for sport. Rivalry will develop between houses and just because you are loved by one house, or even lucky enough to have the support of another, it will invariably mean that another house will hate you and set out to destroy you and all the members of your team. It's quite ridiculous how fanatical some people become about the sport and how fanatical others become about their adoration and the upkeep of this very volatile hierarchy. Next come those intelligent, which in itself Hogwarts is quite distinct from others. No other school will actually place you in a certain house and give you special significance for being smart quite like Hogwarts will. Everyone knows that those within Ravenclaw are incredibly intelligent, or else they would be in a different house, but it's quite surprising how much emphasis is placed on this quality as a factor towards popularity. When one quarter of the school body is classed as smart, it really shouldn't be that astonishing that knowledge and intelligence is ranked so highly. Flitting between these upper levels of social hierarchy are of course the social butterflies and the beautiful people that are attracted to all those who are popular, have looks or can give them something they themselves can not attain. Social butterflies are found everywhere, so it shouldn't be surprising that they are also at Hogwarts. The last of the upper levels of popularity are those students that are deemed fortunate enough to have rich or famous parents, ones like Christian Warbeck ,the son of the famed songstress Celestina Warbeck, or Harry Potter himself. The rest are deemed not important enough as they are either part of the middle ground or considered incredibly unpopular. Such is the name of the game at Hogwarts and the entire system can ruin a person and have them crumbling to the ground as nothing. It will probably be the most prominent of idiosyncrasy at Hogwarts, and just like back when we were all children, everyone wants to be the first pick for a group game, and everyone wants to be loved. _

_So this is where I ask a question. What do these idiosyncrasies teach us about Hogwarts? What experience and knowledge can we give to the younger students, in particular the first years? Well some of the lessons that Hogwarts has taught me in particular are quite obvious; don't cross Filch or certain teachers, the Forbidden Forest really is dangerous, inter-House rivalry is pretty fierce and Slytherins will retaliate if you pull something on them and for the love of Merlin, stay away from the Whomping Willow. But looking past that, those very idiosyncrasies, those oddities that Hogwarts possess have taught me over the years that not only is our school incredibly magical, probably more so than any other place in the Wizarding World in Great Britain and Ireland, but something that even esteemed Headmasters who have taught at the school for generations have yet to discover all the secrets the castle and grounds hold. True our school can be identified by our idiosyncrasies, you need only go to a Hogwarts alumni and tell them about a poltergeist who's giving you hell and they will immediately know you're talking about Hogwarts and that said poltergeist is called Peeves. But there's more to that. It's these mannerisms that have defined how people view Hogwarts and that in turn has influenced the years they spent here. Simply put, through these oddities, students have come to expect certain things from the castle, and because of how truly magical this place really is, the castle has yet to disappoint. So what do I have to say to the younger students and the first years? Welcome to a very magical place. This school and grounds will open your eyes more than anything else ever will, you will see things that even as a pureblood you would never have expected to be possible. Hogwarts is amazing, dangerous at times, look only to what happened last year, filled with secrets and wonder and if you go through your years abiding simple rules you will have the best years of your life here. It's those very idiosyncrasies of our educational years that make it all worthwhile here. _

_Until next time,_

_Calliope, 1993._

"Well, I just hope that the rest of the school body loves it too," I added nervously, resorting back to a terrible habit I had of biting my nails when I was nervous. "I really hope so because I actually put my heart into that."

"Don't worry, Chrissie," Aiden replied, slinging an arm around my shoulders and pulling me into his embrace. "Come on, let's go back in and eat breakfast and you can flirt a little more with Oliver Wood," he added cheekily.

"Oy," I replied, poking him in the ribs for that comment, and he laughed as he steered us into the Great Hall, his arm still over my shoulder giving me the strength that I needed.

* * *

**A/N's: I'm first off really sorry about having to use the page breakers in this chapter like six or seven times, but freakin' won't allow me to do it the normal way (Grrrr!) so now my chapter looks like it's made up of like seven or eight tiny pieces. Please bear with me, but it needed to be done to cut the scenes apart or else it wouldv'e just gotten confusing. Anyway;**

**A huge thank you to my awesome beta reader India, who is just fabulous and this chapter is dedicated to my family, because it's when you least expect it that they really surprise you!  
Lastly, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as this one basically sets the scene for the entire story and as always reviews and comments are always greatly appreicated.  
Agrolass**


	3. Friends, Enemies and Frenemies

**A/N's: A huge thank you as always to my fabulous beta reader India, who takes my 14,000 word chapter and returns it cheerfully, without ever complaining about the size. For this above reason, this chapter is called the Monster, for it's gotta be the longest chapter I've ever written.  
So, enjoy the Monster! :)**

* * *

_Chapter 3, Friends, Enemies and Frenemies._

Someone once tried to define the two main aspects of humanity for me as the brain and heart. The brain, at least as described to me, is the logical, intelligent part of you; it's where your conscience lies, and that is a big part of being human. The heart on the other hand was always seen as the centre for emotions. It rules your feelings, which was always seen as the more important part of your humanity. But while that is all very well and good, I always thought your humanity lay in the relationships you had with those closest to you: your family and friends. As unique as my relationship is with my friends, I consider them my heart and brain, for I trust them more than I trust my own judgement. But even your heart and brain can surprise you from time to time, and that's what they'd done Tuesday at six thirty in the morning when this revelation came to me: that my friends were exceptionally weird.

"Wakey, wakey. Rise and shine!" Tess sang shrilly, her tone extra bright. I wrenched my blanket down from over my head as I shot a confused glare at her, who for lack of a better word was singing and dancing in the middle of our dormitory, stopping to wrench the curtains open as she went along, waking us all up.

"Tess, will you please stop," the feeble voice of Denise Finnegan spoke up, but Tess ignored her and proceeded to stick her head into her trunk and fish out a spare pair of socks.

"Tess, for God's sake!" Jackie piped up, and at this she turned around and looked at Jackie. As a Muggle-born, she was the only one who had never quite gotten used to the idea of saying Merlin as opposed to God.

"Morning, Jackie, what's wrong with you?" she quipped, a large grin on her face, halfway through pulling on her school shirt.

"It is..." She paused for a moment, pulling her alarm clock to her that was sitting on her bedside table, glancing at it quickly, her tone incredulous. "Six thirty in the morning. We don't have to get up for another hour at the least!"

"Wake up, sunshine; it's a brand new day. The sun is shining outside, and I'm in a fabulous mood!" she replied in a sing-song voice.

"Will someone shut her up please," the muffled sounds of Anne Marie Peakes came from the other side of the room.

"I concur," I replied blearily, opening my eyes momentarily, but when the sun shone into my eyes I quickly shut them again, hoping to get back to sleep.

"Hear, hear," Denise added, picking up a pillow and throwing it at Tess, though with her poor aim and weak arm it merely flopped rather half-heartedly into the middle of the room, landing about twenty feet from where Tess stood.

"Well I'm all for Tess and her sunny mood this morning," Abby piped up, and I opened my eyes again so see that she was actually serious, for she had gotten out of bed and was collecting all her things she would need in the bathroom.

"I swear on everything holy, Tess, if you've done something to my best friend," I began, propping myself up against the pillows, wagging my index finger at her, who was currently dancing around the room trying to shimmy into her black tights.

Tess struggled for a few more minutes with the thin black fabric, finally giving up when we all heard an audible rip and saw that she had created a rather large hole in the back on one of her knees. I could hear Denise giggling beside me, and I rolled my eyes as Tess gave up on the tights, turned her attention to me and raised her hands into the air.

"Didn't do anything!" she counteracted, a small grin forming on her face. "It's not my fault she's excited for the day and in a good mood because of it."

"Since when is Abby in a good mood at six thirty in the morning?" I counteracted suspiciously, eyebrows drawn together.

"I don't know; maybe it's because the 7C is having its first committee meeting, and she might be looking forward to it. It might be that she's looking forward to the plan-"

"Tess!" Jackie shrieked out, scandalised, and my suspicion was suddenly heightened, my eyes flicking between a guilty looking Tess and an irate Jackie who was throwing dirty looks at her best friend.

"Well as lovely as this all is," Anne Marie piped up, her tone annoyed and brusque, "the rest of us would like to get back to our beauty sleep, so if you want to have an argument please take it downstairs into the common room!"

"Hear, hear!" Denise and Sally Perkins replied as they both lay back down in their beds, ignoring the three of us. I continued to shoot suspicious looks at both Jackie and Tess, but Jackie was pulling her duvet back over her head, and Tess had promptly joined Abby in the bathroom, no doubt to hatch more suspicious plans that involved me or revel some more in their early morning giddiness. I was struck once more by how odd my friends were as I lay back down in my bed, hoping to go back to sleep, thinking that if they were really that strange and I considered them my heart and brain then I was beyond hope. I snorted at this thought, realising how accurate it was before I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

* * *

I had been absently doodling on the margin of my parchment for the last five minutes of History of Magic when a copy of the Hogwarts News was dropped on top of my parchment, and the voice of Amelia, the editor of the paper, pulled me out of my reverie.

"Why are you giving me a copy of Hogwarts News? I have a few already," I inquired, eyebrows crinkled in confusion as Amelia eased herself into the empty seat next to me.

"Go to page seven," she replied cryptically, a secretive smile on her face and, as opposed to arguing with her, I pulled the paper under the table and opened it to page seven, the same page my article was on. Clipped next to it was a scrap of parchment with a letter written on it.

"What's this?" I inquired, taking the letter and reading it. A minute later I looked back up, a smile on my face and the letter in my hand.

"Is this serious?" I asked, not quite believing the letter.

"That, my dear," Amelia replied, grinning as she pointed to the letter in my hand, "is your very first fan letter."

"Who's it from?"

"I don't know, some third year Hufflepuff, but that's not the only letter you got for your article. There's plenty more back in the office."

"Wow," I replied, slightly awed by the fact someone not only liked my article but would go to the trouble to write in and praise it. "That's so cool; almost makes writing it worth it."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Amelia said, taking the copy of Hogwarts News from me and rolling it up again. "Because I want you to keep writing your column."

"Amelia!" I cried out, and Professor Binns glanced up briefly from his notes to tell me to quiet down, though instead of calling me Christina he called me Carla. When everyone had stopped looking at us I leaned in closer to her and hissed, "You told me I only had to write one article and that's it!"

"I know," she replied, apologetic, "but that's before everyone started coming up to me telling me they really like your column."

"You're not pulling my leg, are you?" I asked, a little unsure.

"No, I'm not, Chrissie. They really love it; if you don't believe me I'll give you all the fan mail you got. Please, Chrissie, keep up with the column. If you want I'll kiss your ass if I have to!"

"It's okay; it's not necessary!" I quickly counteracted, laughing at how desperate Amelia was looking. "I'll do it. I quite enjoyed writing the column as a matter for fact."

"Oh, you're a legend!" Amelia spoke, relieved, a big grin on her face. "Now you wouldn't believe the space they assigned us for an office for the Hogwarts News!"

* * *

I think everyone has that certain person or group of people, if you're really unlucky, who no matter what happens--Hell may freeze over in the meantime--this is the one main constant where nothing will ever change between you. You hate them, they hate you, and they are the quintessential enemies. Sirius Black may charge his way into Hogwarts and kill everyone so that you and your enemy are the only ones left alive and you have to help each other or die; you would probably end up dying anyway because you are enemies and that will never change. As cliché as it sounds, my enemies, and yes they are more than one, are Slytherins. I mean as a Gryffindor I'm meant to hate Slytherins anyway; it comes part and parcel with being in this house, but I don't think the certain level of animosity we've reached over the years was ever expected from a Gryffindor or a Slytherin. This is the type of relationship I have with two Slytherins in my year: a girl named Michaela Witcher and a guy named Nicholas Bearde. It may sound silly to still have enemies when you're in your final year in Hogwarts, and I'm sure many people have called me immature about the whole situation, but over the years there has been too much bad blood between us to ever be forgotten about. Take Nicholas Bearde for example; he bullied me in my first year at Hogwarts before I had Abby or the rest of the girls to protect me from his bullying or even to help me grow strong enough to fight back. Michaela and I had been fine with each other until I found her snogging my boyfriend at the time in a cleaning closet on the second floor. She had proceeded to start seeing James and had rubbed it fiercely in my face partly because he had been my first boyfriend but mostly because she knew I loved him. Even though a year had passed since the incident, I couldn't forgive her, and she couldn't let the entire situation go. It certainly didn't make my life easier when those two had hooked up late last year, and, instead of being too concerned with each other, they had proceeded to antagonise, humiliate and demean me in every way possible. This time though I knew how to handle their bullying tactics, and I learned early on the best way is to fight fire with fire.

"Oh, look, Nick, it's your favourite person in Hogwarts," the squeaky voice of Michaela Witcher drifted over to me from where they were slouching against the opposite wall of the corridor. I sucked in a deep breath, closing my eyes momentarily as I tried to be the bigger person and walk away before this turned into another fight which I would surely lose.

"Hey, Margate, can you get a move on? You're polluting my air supply," Nicholas Bearde drawled, pushing himself off from the wall, his long limbs moving with graceful ease.

Michaela snickered at that, her high screechy voice contrasting starkly with the fact she was a tall, well built girl with thick arms and legs. Her mousey brown hair hung lankly around the side of her face, her grey eyes matching not only her boyfriend's but also her hair colour.

"Come now, Michaela," Nicholas drawled, slinging his long arm around Michaela's waist, his beady eyes shining malevolently.

"Have you seriously nothing better to do than to annoy me?" I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose, knowing that a headache would soon be on the way.

"You think you're so special, Margate, that we wait around here for you to come so we could swap insults with you? Merlin, you're deluded!" Michaela scoffed, the sneer she wore growing more pronounced.

"But since you're here wasting our time, tell me what does it feel like having it public knowledge who the latest guy is you've scored? Aren't you worried you might be seen as easy?" The mock sincere tone of Nicholas' voice was enough to make me grit my teeth. Normally taunts such as this wouldn't affect me, but it seemed he could be telling me about the weather, and I would still get the insatiable urge to punch him in the face.

"But, Nick," Michaela proclaimed dramatically, eyes wide. "She already knows what that feels like to be considered nothing more than an easy girl for a guy."

"Oh, as opposed to you, Michaela, because let's face it the whole school knows you're a slut!" I snapped, my temper getting the better of me. As soon as those words left my mouth, I instantly regretted it because I really wasn't in the mood to have another fight with those two. Unfortunately my anger was starting to override my other senses.

"Shut it, you little bitch!" Nicholas thundered, drawing his wand. "You may think you've grown up over the years, but you're still that little girl to me whose head I stuck down the toilet!" The memory of that incident returned full force to such an extent I was hit by the memory of my eleven year old self, tears streaming down my eyes, hair sopping wet, Nicholas standing over me holding both my wand and his own, that sneer that haunted my dreams. The incident he spoke of was my worst memory because after it happened I refused to leave the Gryffindor common room, hiding in my bed so I wouldn't have to face Nicholas' taunting or bullying. The incident had been the breaking point because that was when Abby, a girl I had hardly ever spoken to, decided to get her older brother and some other Gryffindors to sort Nicholas Bearde out. Since that incident he had never tried to physically hurt me in any way again and slowly, mostly through the help of Abby, I regained my confidence and learned to stand up for myself. Still the entire incident had solidified our hatred of each other, and Nicholas had never forgiven me for getting him beaten up by the older Gryffindors.

"Don't you dare threaten me!" I shouted, temper snapping. My wand was drawn quicker than either Michaela or Nicholas could even comprehend what was happening, and even though my wand as pointing at Nicholas' neck, my wand hand was trembling slightly, itching to send a curse at the both of them because I couldn't take it anymore.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Michaela slowly drawing her wand from her robe pocket, and I reacted instantly.

"Expelliarmus!" I shouted, but Nicholas had quickly conjured up a powerful Shield and shot another curse back at me which I just managed to jump out of the way from.

"What is going on here?" the infuriated tone of our Head Boy and personal bane of my existence, Percy Weasley, cried out.

_Great_, I thought to myself, squeezing the bridge of my nose with the other hand. Now I was going to really get in trouble. Deciding I didn't really care by this point, I turned my head and replied nonchalantly, "Oh, you know, just having a little debate with some Slytherins here. They were trying to argue one point with me, but we all know Slytherins just talk a load of nonsense."

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for giving cheek to the Head Boy!" he shouted out furiously, and I spluttered.

"What? Perce, are you serious?" I cried, not quite believing him.

"I will take another twenty points of each of you for duelling in the corridor where younger students might have gotten hurt!" he continued on loudly, ignoring my protests. I could see that Nicholas and Michaela were sending death glares that promised innumerable pain on Percy, but he wouldn't budge.

"Well, get a move on!" he commanded, straightening his glasses, his glare as ferocious as theirs. It was very rare that someone ever saw Percy really furious, but this was one of those times, and it was quite a strange sight to see.

"Come on, let's leave these stupid Gryffindors and find something more entertaining," Nicholas spoke up, and he and Michaela sent a sneer in my direction which I returned with a glare. They walked past me and Percy, making sure to push me out of the way as they walked away.

"Idiotic Slytherins," I muttered to myself, stowing my wand back in the pocket of my robes before rounding on Percy.

"Were you actually serious about taking House points off me?" I cried, turning my annoyance on Percy. He sent me a patronising look and began walking away.

"Oh, come on, Percy, I know I may annoy you just to get a rile out of it, and half the time I find you a condescending prat, but you can't be serious?" I shouted at his retreating back. When he wouldn't reply, I ran after him and quickly caught up with his slow strides.

"I'm a Gryffindor, Perce. Whatever happened to House loyalty?"

"Christina, you're mad because I'm doing my job, and don't use that excuse of House loyalty on me," Percy replied brusquely.

"Oh, come on!" I cried impatiently. "Slytherins send a volley of curses at me, and you're mad because I was defending myself? You know what, I agree with what others have been saying about you. You need to get that stick out of your ass and stop thinking of how you can rise to power the quickest!"

"Fine!" he replied angrily. "I'm going to McGonagall about you fighting Slytherins in the corridor and let her deal with you!" He shot me a satisfied smirk as he watched my mouth drop, rolling his eyes at my dramatics as he began making his way back to the Great Hall.

"You wouldn't dare!" I cried out, though when he rounded the corner and still hadn't replied I ran after him, calling out, "You seriously wouldn't dare Percy!"

* * *

"Hey look is that Oliver arguing with Karine Bakshi?" Tess blurted out as we rounded the last corridor on our way to Charms that afternoon. She threw her arms out wide, stopping us from walking into the classroom. Everyone already seemed to be inside, for the only people left out in the corridor were Oliver and Karine and us.

"Tess, we're going to be late for class," Jackie hissed, looking at the wristwatch on her left arm.

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're not curious to hear what they could possibly be fighting about?" Tess replied, raising her eyebrow at Jackie.

"Ever heard of curiosity killed the cat?" she replied quickly.

"What's that?" Tess asked confused.

"It's a Muggle thing," Jackie sighed, turning her attention instead to Oliver and Karine who had become considerably louder in their argument.

"He looks pretty mad, whatever she must be saying to him," Abby commented.

"But I thought they weren't talking to each other?" Jackie inquired. Despite having a gossip as one of her best friends, Jackie vehemently refused to be involved in gossiping of any sort but at times her curiosity overrode her desire to not be a part of something, and this just happened to be one of those occasions.

"Don't you sometimes think that maybe we might gossip a little too much?" Abby pondered, aiming her query at Tess and myself.

"I'm with Tess on this one," I added, and when both Jackie and Abby raised their eyebrows at me, I added, "Abby, gossiping isn't bad as long as it's not malicious and just because Wood pisses me off doesn't mean when he's having a public spat with his ex-girlfriend outside our classroom I'm not gonna be curious."

Jackie conceded to the logic of my statement, and we peaked past the suit of armour we were currently hiding behind to see Oliver Wood yell some particularly nasty words at a stoic Karine.

"Wow, that is one pissed-off Quidditch Captain," Tess uttered, and Abby and I giggled at her comment.

"I wonder what's gotten him so angry?" I asked absently as we peaked around the suit of armour again.

"Maybe Karine's been rubbishing his Quidditch skills," Tess replied, raising her eyebrow as Oliver started gesturing with his arms.

"Yes, Tess, it's his Quidditch skills she's been bad-mouthing; nothing else," Abby chuckled, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice.

"What?" Tess queried naively, not catching the double meaning behind her statement. "It could have been!"

"We chortled to ourselves and looked around the suit of armour to see that the argument was over. Oliver Wood stiffly walked back into the classroom, and a minute later an upset Karine Bakshi followed behind.

"We'd better hurry before Flitwick comes," I spoke, and we ducked out from behind our hiding spot.

"Hey, Chrissie, wait," Abby said, grabbing hold of my arm. "Did you remember to bring your Charms homework that was lying on your bed?"

"Oh shit, I forgot!" I cried, hitting my forehead with the palm of my hand. "Well, I'll just explain it to Flitwick after class."

"Chrissie, you don't want to get in trouble again. You had better go and get it before Flitwick comes," Jackie added, and I looked curiously from Abby to Jackie, wondering why all of a sudden they were so interested in my school studies.

"Alright then," I replied a little suspicious, and handed Tess my school bag as I took off in the other direction back to the Gryffindor common room.

Ten minutes later I stopped outside the Charms classroom, side aching with a stitch, breath coming out in puffs and feet that were sore from running up and down five flights in my new mary jane shoes. I knew I would get some pretty nasty blisters on my feet in the evening as the leather hadn't been worn in yet. Clutching my side, I walked into the classroom, stopping momentarily to explain to Professor Flitwick why I was ten minutes late. I looked around and saw with a sinking heart that Tess and Jackie were sitting at a table at the front of the class, and Abby had stationed herself next to Aiden further down. I looked around the class and saw that there were few places left for me to sit, and unfortunately my choices were the very snobbish Talula from Ravenclaw, Gordon who had the worst body odour ever and no-one had the courage to tell him so, and Oliver Wood in one corner of the classroom. I went and got my bag from Tess and noticed with a raised eyebrow that Abby and Tess were refusing to meet my eye and Jackie was trying her hardest to pretend that nothing out of the ordinary was happening. My suspicions were immediately raised at their odd behaviour, coupled with the fact that I always sat next to Abby, Tess or Jackie.

Grabbing the bag that was stationed next to Tess' legs, I got up and whispered quietly to her, "If you guys are planning something, you might as well stop because it's not gonna work."

"I've no idea what you're on about," came Tess whispered reply, and my suspicions were confirmed. She might as well have stood up and declared her plans to the entire classroom, for her denial was as good as a confirmation.

I slung the bag over my shoulder and walked with a resigned step over to where Oliver Wood sat. I dropped the bag next to my legs and went about pulling out the appropriate textbooks, parchment and quills, ignoring the raised eyebrow and questioning look the burly boy next to me sent my way.

"Couldn't find anywhere better to sit, Margate?" Oliver drawled, clasping his hands behind his head and stretching. There was an amused smirk on his handsome face that just annoyed me even more.

Schooling my features, I replied nonchalantly, "My choices were unfortunately very slim, and I had to settle."

"Oh, admit it, Margate, you adore my company," Oliver laughed, and I looked up from my textbook, a disbelieving look on my face.

"Pray do tell. Whatever's given you that idea!" I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Would it be the antagonism or the fact that when it comes to me you're an arrogant ass?"

"Touché," he replied, and we lapsed into a heavy silence. I began writing down the theory for the Orchideous Charm, acutely aware that Oliver Wood was sitting beside me, and even though there was some distance between us I could feel his presence. Every movement he made, I involuntarily looked up, cursing myself for being so silly, but I couldn't explain it. What was even more distracting is that I could feel the heat radiating off his body in waves. I sighed and rubbed my temples with the palms of my hands in an attempt to concentrate more on what I was writing. When I had misspelt the same word three times I let the quill drop onto the parchment in a frustrated sigh and glanced at Oliver from the corner of my eye. Why was it that sitting next to him made me so aware of him, so uncomfortable at the same time and so aware of my own body? I had had boyfriends before, so it wasn't like I didn't know how to react around boys or members of the opposite sex, but yet none of them had ever thrown me into such a state before as Oliver Wood did sitting next to me. It was really starting to bother me, and what made it worse was that he didn't even seem to be aware that I was sitting next to him. His head was bent forwards, his cheekbones very prominent as he bit on his lower lip, brow furrowed in what was obviously a sign of concentration. His topaz hair was glinting in the sunlight that streamed in through a high window, a strand stubbornly sticking forwards, curled slightly at the tips. I was mesmerised by him, never quite realising how prominent his cheekbones were or how unruly his hair could be.

I shook my head, dark blonde hair falling into my face as I tried to shake myself from my Oliver Wood-induced coma.

Unfortunately this action did not go unnoticed by said boy, and he looked up, quill still in his left hand as he gazed at me, a slight smile tugging at the edges of his face.

"Can't concentrate?" he queried, and I nodded my head, frustrated at my idiocy and teenage hormones.

He bumped his shoulder with mine, a grin on his face as he spoke. "Come on; you and me ditch this class and find some way to get you to relax and..." he trailed off, eyebrows wagging.

"Will you stop that, Wood!" I bit out angrily, making sure to keep my voice low. "I am not interested. Get that through your head!" I hadn't meant to snap at him like that or to let my frustration come out into the open, but I couldn't concentrate or even think with Wood so close to me, wreaking havoc on my body. My eyes flashed dangerously as I looked over at Wood and saw that the smile was slipping off his face, his emerald eyes darkening.

"You know what, Margate, suit yourself!" Oliver replied, a scowl growing on his face.

"Fine," I snapped hotly, glaring at him to see that he was returning the gaze fiercely. Even though we were both angry at each other, the anger was radiating off Wood, my throat was still dry, and I found myself drawn to his lips that were pursed in a thin line.

Gah! Even when I'm angry at him I find myself attracted to the infuriating boy sitting next to me. Feeling a need to sort this situation out and return things to some form of normalcy, I added,

"Since it seems impossible for us to be normal to each other I think we should just both not talk to each other until this class is over," I bit out coolly, ignoring his gaze which was firmly trained on me. It made me squirm, and I resisted the urge to tell him to stop.

Ten minutes passed where neither of us said a word and even though I desired it, the tension that hung between us was so palpable it made the situation worse. I instead tried to focus on the Orchideous Charm which I was having great difficulty mastering due to said boy sitting next to me. Every time I flicked my wand a lone orchid would shoot out of it and land feebly on the desk. It was all very exhausting.

"Margate," Oliver interjected.

"I'm not talking to you!" I replied, not looking up at him as I tried to wave my wand while chanting _Orchideous_, but this attempt was as pathetic as the last one.

"Margate," he tried again, his voice a little softer.

"I'm not talking to you," I repeated quickly, and I let out an inaudible sigh of relief when he didn't seem to retort. Instead what he did was place his hand firmly over my right one that was still pitiably trying to flick and produce a decent bouquet of flowers. My head snapped up, my hand twitching slightly at his contact. He didn't seem to notice my shock, and I quickly averted my eyes from his face, hoping that he didn't see how hot and flustered I had become. I silently prayed to whatever deity existed out there that I wasn't blushing, and I was so caught up in my own thoughts, I almost didn't hear him speak.

"You're waving your wand wrong to produce the flowers. It's more of a swish and flick," he spoke, guiding my hand and showing me how to perform the charm.

"Now try saying the word this time," he added, and I mutely nodded my head. He didn't take his hand off mine, and I dimly noticed that his touch wasn't as firm as it had originally been.

He guided my hand as I cried out, "Orchideous!" and with delight I saw that this time a full bouquet of orchids in various hues of orange, pink and purple burst from my wand and landed neatly on the desk in front of me.

I laughed in delight and exclaimed, "They're really beautiful!"

"The word, I believe, is thank you," he said softly, and I realised that he was still holding onto my hand. I swallowed and felt the heat radiating from his body, his closeness playing havoc with my senses and emotions. I was losing control of my body and the situation, and I needed to gain some semblance of control because I felt myself in deep waters that I wasn't quite sure if I could handle.

"What do you mean _thank you_?" I retorted, feeling the anger well up at my inability to control myself around a boy. I pulled my hand from under his loose grasp and sent a hard gaze in his direction.

"Margate, your inability to thank a person because they helped you astounds me!" he replied gruffly, pulling his own hand back, and out of the corner of my eye I saw it clench and unclench before he shoved it into his pocket.

"I didn't ask for your help!" I bit back angrily, my eyes flashing dangerously.

"And this is how you repay them?" he replied coldly, the anger brimming under the surface. "By not only insulting them but forgetting basic manners and decency?"

"Decency?" I replied shrilly, receiving a warning from Flitwick in the process. I gulped in a lot of air and added in a hiss, "You're lecturing me on decency? This coming from the person who keeps pestering me with your innuendos and stupid come-ons? No, Wood, you should maybe learn some decency or the very least learn when you need to back off!"

"With pleasure, Margate!" Oliver spoke, his voice icy. I turned my head away and tried concentrating on the homework Flitwick was giving the class for next week, not really hearing his voice. The only thing that I seemed to realise was how cold my hand was without his covering mine.

Fifteen minutes later the class was finally over, and since it had been the last one of the day I quickly packed up my stuff before everyone else finished and stormed out of the classroom in an effort to get away from the intolerable tension and presence of Oliver Wood.

* * *

An enemy. The Muggle standard dictionary defines an enemy as a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against one another; an adversary or foe, an opponent so to say. Ever since I was a small child I remember my mother teaching me to not develop enemies, to always be kind to someone and never foster any harmful designs or thoughts against another living being. Though I didn't always listen to her, especially in my younger years, it was a belief I tried to stick to as much as possible. It makes sense when you think about it; you treat someone with harm, and they are going to return the treatment, and all that such a hatred causes is unnecessary anger, consumes too much time and generally leaves you feeling very negative. As strange as the concept may be that I consider a fellow Gryffindor an enemy there is no other word I could use to describe my situation with Wood. If I were following the definition of an enemy as the Oxford Dictionary gives us then Wood perfectly falls into that category. Certainly at the height of our argument I felt extreme anger for him, and though I may not wish any harmful designs on him, the third explanation, that of an enemy engaging in antagonistic activities against me, is Wood in a nutshell.

Fights with an enemy drain a person as I could see with my fight with Wood a few hours ago. Instead of feeling triumphant and happy that I had finally told him off for his unwanted advances, I felt the opposite. Guilt was swirling in the pit of my stomach with residual resentment and it leaves you feeling very empty. Even just the amount of anger and, in some cases, hatred needed depletes a person of energy and happiness. You never feel good about yourself after a fight like that. So then, I ask, why do we fight with an enemy if it doesn't produce the desired result of making you feel better? A simple answer is that it allows you to release issues that have been building up inside you, and I'm sure every therapist or counsellor will agree that this is a good thing. But for me it's not enough. Another answer is that you take delight in arguing or even fighting with an enemy. I will admit, even in my most vindictive moment, I felt a surge of vicious happiness at fighting with an enemy, but this mostly happened with the Slytherins, Nicholas Bearde and Michaela Witcher. I did not feel this same surge of savagery when I fought with Wood. I felt the exact opposite. So why then, despite my earlier assertion that Wood was my enemy, did I not feel the same way about him as I did about Nicholas and Michaela? That was one question despite all my musings I couldn't solve.

It was peaceful in the seventh year girls' dormitory; quiet, relaxing and peaceful. I sighed deeply as I leaned my head against the cold window pane, watching heavy clouds roll in from the north, obscuring the last of the day's sunshine. It would be raining soon, I mused, letting my thoughts wander. I couldn't quite explain to myself why I felt like shit, but the feeling of having done something wrong was overwhelming my already exhausted emotions. The fight I had with Wood had not gone how I expected it to. I was glad I had finally told him off about his unwanted advances, and I now realised what an arrogant and hypocritical person he was, and in turn I was grateful I knew this as now I would have a defence for his charms. But this did not alleviate the guilt I felt over how I snapped at him. I felt horrible at having been such a bitch, for not being able to be the bigger person and walk away from the situation. What was worse was I knew I had been in the wrong. It was all becoming a little too much, and that was why I was hiding in the empty girls' dormitory instead of being down in the Great Hall with my friends. But it seemed that I would not be given the luxury of solace for long.

"There you are, Chrissie!" Abby exclaimed as she hurriedly walked into the dormitory, her hand holding onto the open door. She paused a moment and then turned on the spot and yelled out of the door, "Guys, she's up here!" The loud onslaught of the patter of feet on the hardwood floor reached my ears, and I sighed, knowing that my peace was now over. The other three girls burst into the dormitory equally out of breath though Tess was panting a little more.

"Are you okay? You didn't come down for dinner, and we've been looking everywhere for you!" Tess spoke so rapidly I had to blink a second and allow the words to sink in.

"I just needed to be alone for a bit," I replied, taking my time, all the while hoping maybe I would still be able to have my peace. My friends were unfortunately relentless and even though I greatly appreciated their concern, solace was often the best medicine for the blues. But they deserved an explanation for my absence and they undoubtedly wanted to know the outcome of their little plan that went disastrously wrong.

"Come on, Chrissie, you can tell us. What did Oliver do?" Abby queried, concern evident in her voice. I had to laugh at that, how without knowing the facts my friends would still jump to the conclusion that I had been wronged.

"It's not like that," I sighed heavily, and I recounted the story of what happened in Charms, though in hindsight, it was probably quite biased, considering I was still quite mad at Wood. When I had finished they wore similar looks of anger and sympathy. Abby walked over to where I sat on the window sill and enveloped me in a hug that managed to lift my spirits a little.

"He's a bastard, Chrissie, who doesn't deserve you," Abby said vehemently as she stepped away from me.

"Thank you," I replied softly, smiling up at my best friend.

"We're sorry our plan went so horribly wrong. We didn't expect Oliver to lash out like that," Jackie added apologetically.

"Guys, it's okay; you didn't know, and anyway I shouldn't have lashed out like that at him. I was a bitch, and he's right to think that of me."

"No!" they cried out emphatically, and I gave them a look that quelled their protests.

"Okay, so maybe you shouldn't have snapped, but he still shouldn't have been such an asshole," Abby added, and Tess nodded her head enthusiastically. Jackie sat down next to me on the window sill, and I scooted over while she gave me a half hug and smiled at me.

"He deserved it anyway if he's going to be so mean!" Tess spoke fiercely, sitting down on the other side of me on the window sill. We were starting to become quite cramped on there, but I felt a whole lot better with my friends there, lifting my spirits.

"Let's just ignore Oliver until he apologises to Chrissie," Abby added, and I looked up at her, confusion evident in my voice.

"But, Abby, you get on really well with Ethan and Wood. You don't need to not talk to him because he was being an ass to me again," I replied.

"I care more about you than I do about him, Chrissie." She spoke so kindly, I gave her a gratified smile. "Anyway, I think Tess and Jackie will agree with me that it's no big loss. We're doing this on principle." Tess and Jackie nodded their heads to this, both grasping a hand of mine.

"If a guy hurts one of us he hurts all of us," Jackie said, her words sounding oddly poetic. I was touched beyond words at their caring and instead chose to squeeze both Jackie and Tess' hands in return.

"Now, did you all hear the first 7C event is going to be on next Friday? I've had you all invited, so one of the girls will give you the invitation in the next few days. Oh yeah, it's Ravenclaw's turn to throw a party," Abby spoke and we all nodded our heads. Abby had, after all, stayed true to her word and made sure we became members.

"Who's all been invited?" Jackie queried, getting up from her seat on the window sill next to me.

"Oh, you know the usual crowd. Popular people, Quidditch players, social butterflies, us, and I made sure that Nathan Moore was invited too," Abby replied, directing the last part of the answer to me.

"Thanks, Abby," I replied gratefully. She gave my hands a squeeze and popped her head up when Tess asked, "You're really getting into organising and being part of the 7C, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Abby laughed, "You wouldn't believe how much fun it is!"

"Oliver Wood's going to be there then, isn't he?" I piped up quietly when the realisation came to me. After our fight I suddenly didn't ever want to face him again.

"I'm sorry I couldn't un-invite him. It would raise too many questions, and I don't think the other committee members would have let me. The girls love him for some strange reason," Abby replied, and I nodded my head sagely.

"Its okay, Abby. I'm sure I can be in the same room as Wood for an evening," I replied sardonically, and Tess and Jackie looked visibly relieved at my change of mood.

"Yeah, we're gonna make you look fabulous, and Oliver's going to be regretting ever saying anything bad to you. It never hurts to make a guy drool over you!" Tess cried enthusiastically, and I had to laugh at Tess' belief that all problems could be solved by looking hot.

* * *

I always had a pretty black and white concept of how I felt about people when I was younger. My uncle Eric, who introduced me to Muggle music, I adore because he seemed too cool; on the other hand the girl with the ginger pigtails from my primary school days I abhorred because she was so mean and never let me play with her Barbie. Even though as I grew older and defining people became harder I could still place people in certain categories. But what happens when you meet someone who by every right you're meant to hate, who your friends tell you to stay away from, but you end up realising they're not so bad after all? This is what happened to me when I met Karine Bakshi properly for the first time.

I had known of the seventh year Ravenclaw all my time at Hogwarts, seen her in class, sometimes even marvelled at her luscious thick, dark hair, her doe eyes and Indian skin, yet I could with all honesty say I knew nothing more of her than her name, her house and that she had a particular affinity for Arithmancy. I remembered Tess exclaiming at the time of the hook-up of Wood and Karine, but I had felt nothing more about it than a vague interest. Now, though, she seemed a lot more fascinating to me, and that was purely because of how the situation between Wood and I had changed in the last few months. She now seemed like an integral part in deciphering the mystery that was Oliver Wood. When I first met her she seemed the best qualified person who could give me answers.

And so on a Monday afternoon in the library I met the one girl who could possibly understand my conundrum.

"Are you looking for the advanced runes translation book for Wednesday's Ancient Runes homework?" a voice asked inquisitively, and I snapped my head up in surprise at the sound of another person's voice so close to me. Karine Bakshi stood next to where I was crouching down at one of the bookcases in the Ancient Runes section. She was holding a large stack of books in her hands, her long hair tied into a plait, her green eyes shining.

"Yeah," I replied, a little unsure because Karine had never talked to me in all my seven years at Hogwarts. I got up and brushed off the dirt on my old jeans, trying to tidy my hair up a bit because even though it was obvious she had been studying in the library for quite some time she, unlike me, looked tidy, impeccable and all around opposite of my messy state. I felt very self-conscious of my own attire.

"It's no good for our Runes essay. It has absolutely nothing on their value to primitive society, and their conclusion of the Iron Age is very confusing. You're better off with this book," she added brightly, beaming down at me as she extracted a book from her collection and handed it to me. I read the title and smiled gratefully at her.

"Thank you. That's exactly what I was looking for," I said.

"No problem." She beamed at me with that large smile of hers, her pearly whites mocking me. "Say you're Christina Margate, right?" she asked a little hesitantly. I relaxed; her hesitation made her seem more human to me.

"Yeah, though you can call me Chrissie. And you're Karine Bakshi."

She nodded at me and smiled. "Say, how's your Runes essay coming along? Mine is awful, and I just don't understand the question asked," Karine queried, and I raised an astonished eyebrow at her.

"But you're always so good at Runes. Dreyfus loves you!" I cried out, not quite believing her. She just shrugged her shoulders. "Well it is getting a bit ridiculously hard now, isn't it?" I continued on, and she laughed at this. There was a silence between us, and I didn't know what else to say, suddenly feeling very awkward, so I began walking back to the table where I sat and Karine followed me. I set the books down, and she browsed through my notes, muttering to herself.

Then she pulled her head up and asked in a strange tone, "Is it true what everyone's been saying about you and Oliver going out?"

I snorted, rolling me eyes, adding, "As if!" And then I uttered in a darker tone, "People at this school spend too much time gossiping about other peoples' private lives." I realised I sounded quite hypocritical, but Karine wouldn't know that.

She brightened at that and laughed. "I suppose so."

I suddenly got the impression that I knew what the fight she'd had with Wood outside the Charms classroom a few days ago was about, and I wondered why I found it so strange that Karine might want Wood back.

"But you talk to Oliver, right?"

"Listen, Karine," I began. "The only times Wood and I ever talk one or both of us end up walking away angry at the other. We fight and antagonise each other; we don't talk," I explained.

"Yeah," she said, deep in thought. "Anyway, let's not talk about Oliver," Karine added, changing the topic to which I replied with a hearty _Lets!_ "Did you get invited to the first 7C event on Friday?"

"Oh, yeah, I did," I replied and her eyes widened at this.

"Oh, wow, me too! I got my invite today. It's going to be great isn't it? Ravenclaw is hosting the first one," Karine exclaimed, and I resisted the urge to tell her I already knew courtesy of Abby.

"Yeah, I hear it's gonna be great."

"You have to come find me so I'll have someone to talk to," she spoke, uncertainty in her voice. I gave her my affirmation but found this statement by Karine very strange. She had plenty of friends and as far as I knew Karine mingled with the popular crowd; she would not be lacking in friends to talk to. I decided not to comment on it, and instead we talked about mundane things and our shared interests.

* * *

"You were talking to Karine?" Tess cried out surprised. She stopped tidying her bed to stare at me in shock. After Jackie's repeated pleas that she clean up what Jackie called 'that mountain' she had finally gotten through to Tess, and that was what she was currently doing before she stared at me as if I had two heads.

"You sound so scandalised, Tess," I laughed, but Tess didn't seem to find it funny so I added, "I don't understand why you don't like her; she's really quite nice."

"Because she's a bitch! Don't you remember that fight she had with that girl who was her best friend? Those vicious rumours followed that poor girl around for months!" Tess implored.

"Oh, come on, Tess, half of that was exaggerated," I replied, shaking my head at how dramatic she was being.

"I'm with Tess on this one," Abby spoke. "She can be a manipulative piece of work when she wants to be."

I turned to Jackie to see if she was being as weird as Abby and Tess, but she raised her hands in the air. "Oh no, I'm staying out of this one. You know how I am about talking about people behind their backs."

"You're being totally silly," I sighed, shaking my head. It was useless trying to talk to Abby and Tess out of a belief they held. They were both too stubborn to change their minds now anyway.

"Well we're just warning you. Be careful with Karine Bakshi," Abby muttered darkly, and I let the topic go. It was no use trying to force a belief on them, and I really didn't want to argue with my friends.

* * *

"Hey, Chrissie!" Karine called out to me as she came the opposite way in the corridor.

"Hi, Karine." I smiled and stopped next to Karine.

"So, how did you do in Ancient Runes?" she inquired brightly, sweeping her thick hair away from her face.

"Oh, I got an E in my essay. Thank you so much for the help with it. I haven't gotten an E in Runes since fifth year!" I replied eagerly.

"It was nothing," Karine spoke, brushing off my compliment. "So where are you going now?"

"The library," I replied, pulling a face. "I've got a large pile of homework waiting for me in my bag!"

"I'm the same. Do you mind if I come with you?" She laughed, and I shook my head. "What are you working on?"

"Potions," I sighed, and she nodded her head sagely, both of us walking down the corridor towards the library.

"You and I can work on it together; maybe we can get it done quicker. Consider me an incentive to make sure you do your work."

"I'd love that," I said relieved, smiling at Karine as we entered the library and made our way to the back tables.

* * *

I felt very conscious of my appearance. I kept picking at the dress the girls had chosen for me and pulled a face.

"Oh, stop it; you look amazing!" Abby commented when she saw me flicking at the skirt of my dress for the third time within five minutes.

True, I probably did look amazing as the girls decided to make me a group project and do me up for the first 7C event because, as Tess so eloquently put it, "Oliver may be an ass, and we may not be talking to him, but that doesn't mean we can't have him salivating all night at the sight of you!" It seemed she had actually remembered what she said a week earlier in the dormitory, and that was why I was currently in a white baby doll dress and a light pink cardigan teamed with my favourite mary janes. It was the only thing they allowed me to choose, and even though they are my friends they can be fashion Nazis when they want to.

"Explain to me why I have to look like I'm going somewhere really important. You know everyone else is just going to be in jeans and shorts. I'm going to look ridiculous!" I whined, but Abby who was on one side and Jackie on the other just rolled their eyes and smirked at each other.

"You're not going to look ridiculous!" Tess chided, acting like I was a spoilt child. "You're going to look hot, all the boys are going to notice you and if the girls are giving you funny looks it's because they're jealous!" I realised that it would be pointless to keep arguing with them, and considering that they were frog-marching me to the destination of the party, I would not be having much luck in getting away. Resigning myself to my fate and trying to make the best of the situation, I let them lead me up to the seventh floor to a room Abby called the Come-and-Go-Room. When the door opened, I was immediately assaulted by the loud thumping of music, the sticky air that only ever developed in a room where many people were crammed into a small space and a mass of people standing at the entrance. With Abby on one side and Tess and Jackie on the other, we made our way into the crowd, and with a sinking heart I saw that everyone was dressed much more casually than I was. My dress made me stand out like a sore thumb, and I whispered this to Tess on my right side though she just smiled at me and told me to stop overreacting.

"Oh, look there's Joshua Goldstein over there!" Tess exclaimed, and I smirked. She had been after the seventh year Ravenclaw since fifth year, but despite the lack of interest on his part she had not given up. "I'm going to ask him how he did in his Charms exam!"

"Have fun!" both Jackie and I called out as she let go of my arm and disappeared into the crowd.

"It's amazing how she never gives up," Jackie commented, and I nodded my head sagely. We peered on through the crowd, and I spotted Karine Bakshi surrounded by her friends and hangers-on, and when she spotted me she waved enthusiastically, motioning me to come over. I smiled and waved in return. Ignoring the blank stares Abby shot her or the muttered warning she gave me, I let go of Abby and made my way over to Karine, squirming as the throngs of people began to push me one way and then another. A hand suddenly reached out and pulled me through, and with a relieved sigh I saw it was Karine, a broad grin on her face.

"Hey, you came!" she exclaimed, and I nodded my head smiling in return.

"It's so packed here; you can barely move!" I groaned, and she laughed in reply. Her friends, who I only knew to see just stared at me, and I grew uncomfortable. Karine seemed to not notice how the mood in the group changed or chose to ignore it, for she continued talking brightly away to me as if we were all the best of friends. She introduced me to her friends, some of whom I recognised the names and some I didn't. Their enthusiasm wasn't as strong as Karine's, and they gave me very formal hellos, but it became obvious pretty early on, despite how coolly they may be reacting to me, they wouldn't dare openly say anything. I began to realise the group dynamic revolved mostly around Karine. She was the leader, and despite the fact that these girls obviously disapproved of me, they would not go against their leaders' wishes. I grew incredibly uncomfortable but pushed away the thought. What Abby and Tess had said about Karine came to mind, and I pondered for a moment whether they were accurate in their assumption of Karine. But then again she had been nothing but friendly, open and extremely kind to me. What did it matter how she was with her other friends; as long as she kept being the way she was to me I realised I wouldn't care.

"You look really amazing, Chrissie!" she gushed, and I blushed as she brought attention to my appearance. "I mean, I look like a tramp compared to you!" I briefly wondered why she would be so self-deprecating. True, she wasn't wearing a dress like me, but her deep maroon turtleneck, black skirt and black tights certainly didn't make her look terrible. In fact all it did was enhance her beauty, and she looked incredibly classy compared to me flashing bare legs.

"Oh, don't say that, Karine," I admonished. "You're a thousand times better looking than I ever could be!" Though she told me to stop talking such nonsense, I could see she didn't mean it and actually seemed to straighten her posture at the compliment.

"Well, never mind that. Did you see any cute guys around here yet?" she gushed, eyes sparkling, and I looked around the room, but no-one stood out for me.

"No, not yet," I replied, glancing around. "I'm just glad I don't have to deal with certain people!" I gave her a look, and she gave me a knowing smile.

A brunette girl with sapphire blue eyes and a full face of make-up from the group piped up, her eyes glinting malevolently, "Hey, you're the one who everyone's saying is going out with Oliver Wood." Only too late did she realise she probably should not have said that, for one of her friends harshly jabbed her in the ribs, and Karine's eyes grew cold for a moment as she turned her attention on the poor girl. It was obvious that the subject of Oliver Wood was a sore topic among Karine's friends.

"Geraldine!" Karine remarked sharply, her eyes narrowing. The girl's eyes grew wide, a startled look on her face before her hands flew to her mouth.

I watched this entire scene with an odd sense of detachment despite the fact that I was in the heart of it, and it was while I observed that the realisation dawned on me that those aspects of Karine that Abby and Tess had warned me about might actually be correct. Suddenly a thought struck me. What if Karine was friends with me simply because of everyone thinking that I was either hooking up with him or going out with him? The thought greatly perturbed me, and my back straightened, my attention on alert.

Wanting in some way to diffuse the tension and return things to normal, I forced a smile on my face and replied easily, "No, I'm not going out with Wood." I tried to keep my voice as neutral as possible, and with a small sigh of relief I saw both Geraldine and Karine relax.

Karine let out a light laugh, a bright smile on her face, and it seemed that the tension I had felt but a moment ago had evaporated into the air.

"Oh, don't worry; we'll find you someone a thousand times better than him," she spoke, entwining her arm with mine as she led me through the crowd.

"Won't the girls mind if I'm only talking to you the whole time?" I asked cautiously, glancing behind me to see the girls were following behind us, and from the looks on their faces I could tell they weren't very happy about the situation.

"Oh, don't worry so much, Chrissie! Now come on; we're finding you someone very hot to get your teeth into," she chided and steered me on; where I wasn't quite sure. When I told her I wasn't very comfortable with being set up with some random bloke she laughed her musical laugh and told me how funny I was before introducing me to some bloke from Hufflepuff who Karine told me was the funniest person she'd ever met.

In truth he wasn't, but I didn't want to say it to her and only after she disappeared did I manage to get away from the boy and his jokes that weren't even remotely humorous. I was growing quite weary by this point. Karine and her friends exhausted me, so I made my way over to the chairs and sofas at one side of the wall, suddenly wondering why I or my friends bothered so much about my appearance or how amazing this night was going to be. I could feel a headache coming on from the music, and the room by this point was almost jam packed to the rafters. Still there was no sight of Wood. I shook my head when I realised who I was searching for in the crowd, snorting to myself for my foolishness. As if he would want to talk to me after the fight we had! I tiredly made my way over to the sofa and slumped down on it, drawing my cardigan tighter around me, wishing more than anything I was in my jeans and t-shirt.

"Oh, thank Merlin you're here, Christina!" a male voice exclaimed, relieved, and I looked up to see Nathan Moore gaze down at me, his grey eyes shining with assuagement behind his glasses.

"Hey, Nathan." I smiled up at him, patting the seat next to me. "Come sit and talk to me so I don't look like a fool on my own."

"Gladly," he replied, and he sat down gingerly. "So I'm guessing you're not having a good time either."

I just shrugged my shoulders. "I think it was hyped up too much for me," I replied, sighing. "Now I'm just tired, and I feel completely ridiculous looking so overdressed."

"The large crowd is a little too much for me right now, but it seems unfair to just leave after all the trouble Abigail went to to make sure I was invited," he responded, and I nodded my head.

"Well you can sit and talk to me, and we'll just ignore that large crowd there," I smiled, pointing to the crowded room in front of us.

* * *

Half an hour later I was back with my friends Abby and Jackie after Nathan had called it quits and left tired and exhausted. I felt a lot better after talking to someone so normal and sane that by the time Nathan left all earlier doubts were lifted from my shoulders, and I returned to Abby and Jackie with a spring in my step. It also helped greatly that the room had cleared itself a little, and I could breathe again. Abby and Jackie were still deep in conversation about the past Headmasters of Hogwarts, but I quickly grew bored of the conversation and listened to the music that was still blaring from the wireless in the corner. Thankfully someone had turned the volume down a little so it was no longer so unbearable, and more and more tracks came on that I enjoyed dancing to. I stood in our little group, my hips swaying, head bopping to the music, but apart from a few amused comments from Abby, they largely left me to my own devices.

"Oh, I love this song!" I exclaimed, interrupting the conversation Abby was having with Jackie. Abby smiled at me and continued on, but I tuned them out again and hummed along to the first few bars of the song by an old wizarding group from the seventies.

"I'm gonna go dance; do you guys wanna come too?" I inquired, but both Jackie and Abby shook their heads.

"But there's nobody dancing," Jackie replied confused.

"So?" I laughed, already dancing to the melody. They waved me off as I shimmied away into the crowd, making my way to the centre of the room where there was space to dance. I laughed to myself as I imagined that the reason people weren't standing in the middle of the room was so that others didn't expect them to start dancing. I let the music take over and danced my heart out, a large grin on my face because dancing always made me happy. I danced to myself, not caring in the slightest if others were staring or whispering. This was one of the only instances where other people's opinion of me didn't matter. After about four songs I had to call it quits; my arms were aching, and I was tired and thirsty. I made my way over the refreshment table in the corner, staying away from the alcoholic beverages, and I poured myself an orange juice. After the last party of the year which had led to the now infamous snogging of Oliver Wood, I thought it best if I avoided alcohol for a while at least until I felt confident I wouldn't repeat the same mistake. I swivelled around and spotted that Abby and Jackie were still deep in conversation. Deciding to let them be for a while, and since Tess still seemed to be missing in the crowd, I scanned the room for other familiar faces. My own visage lit up when I spotted Aiden talking to a group of boys that included Ethan Quinn and Wood. I hadn't talked to Aiden all night, and I was in such a good mood that I didn't even mind Wood being there too. Besides, I needed to ask Ethan something, my earlier conversation with Tess coming to mind, and I wouldn't be chased away from my friends because Wood and I shared a few. I purposely walked over to the boys, drink still in hand, and they looked up at my appearance in their group though none of their smiles were as prominent as Aiden's.

"Hey, guys," I chirped brightly to them. "So this is where you've been hiding Aiden on me!" I mock scolded, and Ethan genially laughed at this. Wood just stared at me, but my attention wasn't on him.

"Hullo, Christina," Ethan spoke.

"Well, Ethan, how are you? I haven't gotten a chance to speak to you yet," I replied and then added, "How has your summer been?"

"Oh, you know the usual tripe, but let's not concern ourselves with the past." I smiled at  
Ethan, and a thought struck me how Ethan and Wood could be friends. With his easy nature and natural charm, Ethan Quinn seemed to be the anti-thesis of Oliver Wood's stiff nature and propensity to offend, or offend me at least. Even in outward looks they seemed to be opposites: Oliver Wood was gorgeous, maturely handsome, and he had that electricity about him while Ethan was actually quite plain with his mousey brown hair, hazel eyes and medium build. But what he lacked in the looks department he more than made up for in his personality. Then another thought struck me that caused me to smile. In a way they reminded me a lot of Abby and myself; we too were opposites. She was without a doubt the looks, and I was the personality. It seemed strange that, for opposites, our friendship bound us tightly together maybe even more so because we were opposites. Almost like Wood and I, but I stopped that train of thought, smacking myself mentally. The only problem with that image was that Wood and I couldn't even get on. No matter what they say about opposites attracting Wood and I would need a hell of a lot more to bind us together or to convince me we could even work. Realising I had spent too much time in my head, and Ethan and Aiden were staring strangely at me, I smiled apologetically.

"Oh, before I forget," I said turning my attention to Ethan. "Tess and I were talking about The Weird Sisters' concert in Diagon Alley over the Christmas holidays, and you had said to me that you might be able to get us back-stage passes. Would you still be able to do that?" I asked hopefully, giving Ethan my most winning smile.

"Christina Margate, if I didn't know any better I'd say you were only using me for my connections!" Ethan exclaimed, crossing his arms across his chest.

"No, it's not that at all!" I replied emphatically and shot him a puzzled look when he burst out laughing.

"It's okay; no-one could ever accuse you of manipulation," Ethan grinned, and I looked from him to Aiden who were both smirking, obviously enjoying a joke I didn't understand. Curiously enough, my gaze flickered to Wood for the first time in minutes and saw, startled, that he was wearing an amused half smile.

"I have no idea what you're trying to say with that but okay," I replied, and Ethan patted my arm, still grinning genially.

"I'll look into the matter. My dad knows the manager so he can see if you guys can get some passes," Ethan spoke, answering my query, and I grinned broadly at him, giving him a hearty thank you for his troubles.

"We saw you dancing out there, Margate," a voice spoke, and I spun my head around, eyes wide, for Oliver Wood had just spoken to me. I was amazed that Wood was even talking to me after the fight we had in Charms over a week ago, and I honestly didn't think that he would ever bother talking to me again.

"Yeah," I replied, blushing slightly under his intense gaze. "I know I looked like a complete idiot!" I added, suddenly feeling all the embarrassment that I hadn't earlier on.

"No, you didn't, Chrissie, you actually looked very happy," Aiden spoke, maybe trying to deflect a situation he feared might turn ugly with mine and Wood's bickering. But surprisingly I didn't feel any anger or annoyance towards Wood, partially because I was so glad he was finally talking to me again that I didn't mind. So he wasn't giving me one of his usual innuendos, but at that moment I was so relieved I didn't care.

He smirked at me and then spoke, "Maybe you and I could bump and grind together on the dance floor." That smirk grew more pronounced, and I could feel the quiet groan Aiden emitted upon hearing Oliver Wood trying to come onto me again.

"I think I'll pass, Wood," I replied sardonically, grabbing Aiden's hand and dragging him out onto the dance floor, ignoring his protests and pleas sent in the direction of Wood and Ethan. Their only reply was amused laughter and the sound of a whip cracking; the sound obviously was made by none other than Oliver Wood. I rolled my eyes at his idiotic behaviour, but then a smile crossed my face as I realised Wood had in his own way forgiven me. Even though no words of apology were spoken, the fact that he was treating me the same as always was a testament to the fact he had forgiven me for being such a bitch to him, and that made it strangely all the better.

* * *

_**Calliope's Guide to Hogwarts**_

_Friends, Enemies and Frenemies_

_For my second article I thought I would spread my wings further and write about something that lay closer to my heart. For it seems over the last fortnight I have become confounded by the question of "what are friends, enemies and the strangest of all, frenemies?" Maybe I'm a little outdated, but I never had any problem defining these three types of people in your lives with the exception of the third. Ever since I was a small child running around in my parents' back garden with a childhood Muggle friend that lived down the road who I would play tag and hide and seek with the definition of friend has been relatively easy to determine. A friend is someone who you have a good connection with; they are the person who, if you are really lucky, you can trust with your life, heart and soul. You share interests, passions and those quirky things that make you you. A friend, even a very best one, is the person you can spend your entire day with and never feel like you've spent too much time in their company. They are loyal, kind and will help you with almost anything. That was what I thought friendships were all about, and that Muggle boy, Tommy, embodied and taught me what it meant to have meaningful friendships. Everything seemed easy until I entered Hogwarts in my first year and met my current group of friends who, in hindsight, seem to be the antithesis of everything I ever expected in my friends, let alone my best friends. My best friend is a girl I initially hated because at the time she just seemed too ridiculously beautiful, and for an awkward eleven year old who still had childish features and many insecurities she seemed to mock me with her easy nature, her brilliant ability to become friends with everyone and how at ease she seemed in her own body. Maybe it was the fact that we were complete opposites that laid the groundwork for our friendship, but it seemed to have worked. As for the rest of my friends, is it normal to have friendships where at times you feel like strangling your friends, teasing them about everything and anything is the norm, where glares are sent their way as often as smiles are, and yet despite it all you are the closest anybody could ever be? I didn't think so, but strangely enough it works for us. _

_An enemy, on the other hand, is a lot easier to define even as a seventeen year old who has unique friends to say the least. They are the opposite in every way to your friends; you certainly wouldn't trust them, they frequently antagonise you more than they would ever be kind to you or even send a smile, doing malicious things to you is seen as sport by them, and their values are so supremely different from yours it could never connect the two of you. Simply put, my enemies are the Slytherins, and I'm sure most people in this school will agree with me. On the flip-side I'm probably not far off in saying that the Slytherins consider Gryffindors and even Hufflepuffs their enemies. But what do you do if you discover an enemy closer to home, one that is in the same house as you and even shares your group of friends? This is where it becomes difficult to manage in any respect. The key to harmony in a group is to have everyone get along, but if there's that one person in the group that you somehow just can't stand no matter how hard you try, what do you do? My enemy for the sake of this article I shall call Mr. X. I personally find him obnoxious, cocky, constantly needs to pull one over on me, goes out of his way to piss me off, and that is just in one encounter. Yet when I tell my friends, they tell me I'm being ridiculous and to try to get along with him. I believe in confidence; in fact my best friend embodies it, and that is one of the reasons I admire her, yet Mr. X is bestowed with so much confidence it seems to be oozing out of him to the point it's just unbearable. What others find charming I consider sleazy and while some would even adore how he flirts with them, for me I just think he's a little too easy for my liking. Simply put we are too different and our values are too different to ever be brought into harmony. He really is no different in my eyes than those very Slytherins I've decided to hate for all time, yet while my friends consider it acceptable to hate Slytherins, ("I mean they just ask for it," my best friend would say), I get told off when I say I hate Mr. X. And that is only because he is in our group of friends. Double standards galore, I would say, but what can I do? _

_But it's the third of this group, the frenemy that has confounded me the most since I found my very own frenemy about a week ago. She, for the sake of this argument, shall be called Miss Y. Now before I ever met Miss Y I had heard stories about her which to put it kindly weren't very nice. I'm not one that usually pays too much attention to gossip and rumours, but the amount of stories all telling pretty much the same thing does start adding up as evidence against her. It also didn't help that one of my friends really can't stand her, so when I met Miss Y and actually spoke to her for the first time in all my years at Hogwarts, she seemed the opposite of everything I ever expected. Her beauty certainly was impressive as was her intelligence and grace. She is the type of girl that has natural elegance oozing out of her to such an extent she could put my dear friend to shame. I could easily see why some people would hate her. Girls find it so incredibly easy and satisfying to hate the beautiful, smart girl purely because of insecurities and shallow fears. I could understand why they hated her, but I couldn't. Yes, she did intimidate me terribly, and I did feel slightly inferior in her company, but I supposed that was just my own insecurity. Her behaviour seemed quite formal and even a little cold at times, but I'm a forgiving person. Plus she went out of her way to make the acquaintance with me. I could see she was trying to be outgoing and overly friendly and nice to me. She would ask me how my Potions homework was going, offer me help with Ancient Runes and offer advice even when I didn't need it. While other people would see our new friendship, remark and even sometimes come up to me to warn me of what type of person she was, I would ignore them. But I realised over the last week that, despite how nice she was trying to be, I did get the feeling that she was using me to get closer to someone else. Despite the fact that she would occasionally manipulate me and her demeanour would change instantly to one that wasn't quite so nice, she would be lovely the rest of the time. This, I found out, was a frenemy; not quite a close friend yet there is enough in this friendship for her not to be called an enemy and makes it worth sticking around for. So I ask, what do you do with this frenemy? You can't tell her anything private for she might end up spilling the beans to someone else since I can't quite trust her, yet she was nice and helpful enough that I benefited from her help with my homework. It really becomes a juggling act, as I discovered. Because then something else struck me while she was once again shrewdly asking me for inside information on someone; she may be using me, but I am using her too. My grades are doing better as a result and even though my own intentions aren't as shrewd as hers are, I am no different. In fact is that not what friendship is made of? Reciprocity has gone hand in hand with friendship for thousands of years; in fact the ancient Greeks based public friendships on this basis of giving and receiving things. It was a friendship of gains, and that is the same as I have with Miss Y. The fact that I can't quite trust her just makes me more careful with her than I would be with my other friends, but as long as you are aware of the type of friendship you have with someone, it's okay. _

_One thing I have realised over the years and especially at Hogwarts: things aren't as black and white as I had assumed as a wide-eyed eleven year old coming into Hogwarts. Even friendships can't be that easily defined, and sometimes the strongest of friendships are ones that are partially based on antagonism. Even with enemies it's not as clear cut any more, for someone you may hate, others will love and inevitably no-one will ever fully agree on who they like or not. I suppose I can just give up on trying to define the indefinable now because the rules have changed drastically in my seven years at Hogwarts. Maybe I'll continue hating Mr. X and his cockiness or maybe I will grow to tolerate him and see what others must be seeing in him, and maybe Miss Y and I will develop something a little more stable than this frenemy status we have; who knows. It has taught me to be more aware of whom I trust in my life and always question whether someone really is a good person or out to use me. _

_Until next time._

_Calliope, 1993._

* * *

**As always, please review and tell me what you think, favourite parts or any random thoughts that you have. I love 'em, and more reviews make me happier and usually act as a good incentive to get me to write a chapter faster.  
Go on, make an author happy! :)**


	4. A Public, Personal, Gendered Obsession

**A/N's: I've given up trying to control the length of this chapter, it's even more humungous than the last one!  
As always a huge thank you to my beta reader India and all those people that have left reviews and really made my day. Here's chapter 4, enjoy and as always, reviews make me happy!!  
Agrolass**

* * *

_Chapter 4, A Public, Personal and Gendered Obsession With Quidditch_

"Oh Merlin, guess what time of year it is!" Abby cried out excitedly from where she was standing next to her bed that Wednesday morning in her pyjamas. Her hand was pointing to some date on her calendar I couldn't make out.

"No idea; what is it?" Tess asked curiously, sitting up in her bed.

"It's Quidditch season!" Abby screamed, delighted, and I toppled out of the bed in surprise. I untangled myself from my duvet and sat upon the floor, mouth agape.

"Are you serious?" I cried out, tone hopeful.

"Yeah I am, it's that time of year again!" Abby exclaimed, spinning around, and then she stopped and looked at me before adding, "They're starting Quidditch training this week, and the line-up for the first matches will be announced!"

"Yay!" I shouted out and jumped up to join Abby in the middle of the dormitory. We clasped hands and danced around the dormitory, singing out loudly, "It's Quidditch season! It's Quidditch season!"

"Oh bugger," Tess groaned and Jackie interjected with a, "Oh, dear sweet God!" They burrowed their heads under their pillows as Abby and I danced around the room loudly singing all the Quidditch songs we knew until even Anne Marie and Sally had had enough. It didn't matter anyway because Quidditch season was here.

Now most girls wouldn't understand the manifold attractions of the game of Quidditch, the inclement weather that seems to go hand in hand with the game, the long hours of a match, the physical exertion, the dedication bordering on obsession and the long training sessions. But I'm not one of these girls. Lo and behold, you will find me proudly wearing my House scarf in support of my team for, yes, the most beautiful time is upon us. Quidditch season!

"You forgot to mention the boys," Tess commented, leaning against my shoulder where we were sitting in the common room trying to do our homework.

"Tess, I'm not gonna spend an article talking about boys," I replied, not lifting my head.

"I'm not asking you to, though it might be a good idea!" she beamed, and I laughed quietly.

"You know I might do that for you," I spoke, mirth evident in my voice, and Tess beamed at me.

"Though I still think you should write about the boys--especially shirtless--as an attraction to the sport. It's probably the only one anyway," she shrugged, and I rolled my eyes.

"We all know you and Jackie hate the sport." Tess opened her mouth, no doubt to retort to my remark, but she suddenly turned her head around to where the Gryffindor notice board hung on the wall. I followed her gaze and saw that Wood had entered the common room and was in the process of tacking up the line-up for the first few Quidditch matches. I quickly got up out of my seat, Tess following reluctantly. I pushed my way through the crowd and saw Abby appear next to me. We grinned at each other and read the list, growing more excited with every moment.

"Wow, the 16th of October, that's early!" Abby remarked, and I pondered briefly over her statement.

"Yeah, but look who we're playing against: Slytherin," I replied, and she nodded her head sagely.

"Looks like the best one is up first. That's going to be an amazing match!"

"Oh, I totally agree with you. Look at the rivalry, but with Harry Potter we're bound to win," I spoke.

"Oliver Wood's gonna be fanatical about Quidditch this year seeing as it's his last one," Abby mused, thoughtfully biting on her lip.

"Somehow that doesn't seem surprising at all," I smirked and then added, "Did you hear what he said to the team this year?" Abby shook her head. "Apparently he begged them to win it for him this year; said something about how he might drown himself in the lake if they don't."

Abby laughed at this. "Now why doesn't that surprise me at all?"

"What doesn't surprise you?" the curious voice of Oliver Wood asked as he drew up next to us. I saw that he looked very tired which was unusual considering it was the start of the year, but when I saw a heap of Quidditch papers in his hands it made sense.

"Nothing," we chorused and caught each other's glance before dissolving into giggles. Wood, either highly perturbed or very confused by our actions, gave us a strange look and walked away.

"So, how's the article going?" Abby wondered aloud.

I pulled a face and replied, "Terrible. Whatever I write just ends up sounding like shit." Abby gave me a sympathetic smile and squeezed my shoulders as we made our way out of the crowd that surrounded the notice board. We saw that Tess was already back in her seat, diligently working away at her Divination assignment.

"I mean, seriously!" I cried out, frustrated. "You'd think for my favourite sport and pastime I'd be able to write something decent about it!" We all sat down, and I pulled the parchment with the article towards me with a grimace, knowing I wasn't going to write anything good tonight.

"Well I told her to write about the Quidditch boys because what else is interesting about it?" Abby and I grinned at each other, choosing not to reply because we gave up years ago trying to convince Tess that Quidditch isn't that bad. But she seemed insistent tonight, for she turned her question on Abby.

"Don't you think the Quidditch boys are just the hottest? Oh, especially that Cedric Diggory; he's scrumptious!" Tess exclaimed, and she wore a dreamy look as she said this.

Abby shrugged her shoulders non-committally and replied, "He's alright, I suppose."

Tess didn't seem to quite agree with this reply, for she sighed and gave Abby a look to suggest she didn't understand taste.

"Abby, he's gotta be the hottest boy in school; probably even more so than Wood, and all you say is he's alright? Are you sure you're not gay?"

Abby sent Tess a withering look and replied, "Tess I'm not gay! He just doesn't float my boat; that's all!"

"I swear; you don't like any boys!" Tess retorted, starting to sound quite childish, a good sign to show she was losing an argument.

I got up at this, not being in the mood to listen to Tess try and squabble with Abby who was obviously not going to humour Tess and argue with her. Aiden was lounging by himself on one of the sofas, and after a quick glance at a nervous Potter sitting with his friends near the fireplace, I plopped myself down next to Aiden.

"How come you're sitting by yourself here? Why didn't you come and sit with us?" I inquired after he gave me a hello and a smile.

"Ah, sweetheart, too much oestrogen for me right now. That and Tess seems to be in the arguing mood," Aiden replied, glancing over at Tess. I followed his gaze and saw that she was looking quite annoyed, and I grinned at this.

"True. It does get a bit much, doesn't it?" I commented, and we caught each others' gaze and smirked.

"I think I'm not going to ask why you, a girl, are fed up with all the oestrogen," Aiden laughed, and I smirked at him.

"And what's that meant to mean, Mr. O'Carroll?" I replied with a raised eyebrow.

"It means whatever you want it to, sweetheart!" he answered, hands raised defensively in the air. I laughed at him and punched him lightly in the arm.

"So, you looking forward to the first Gryffindor match?" I asked, changing the subject, and Aiden turned around on the sofa so he was facing me.

"Should be a great one; what do you think?"

And that, it seems, was all I needed, for I sat there for the rest of the night chatting to Aiden about everything from Quidditch to the Dementors. And even though he was a boy I couldn't feel more comfortable with him, and it proved to be a nice change.

* * *

"And I want that book returned in pristine condition. No more tea stains all over the pages!" Madam Pince added sternly, her shrewd beady eyes boring into me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her dramatics, deciding it would be best if I just smiled innocently at her. I was currently in the process of taking out a book in the library that Wednesday afternoon, and after Madam Pince gave me another harsh gaze she relinquished the book over to me. I clutched it to my chest and smiled innocently, turning away from her only to come face to face with Karine.

"Hi," I said, a little unsure, but Karine just beamed at me like she always did.

"Hi, Chrissie!" Karine replied easily, that smile of hers wide and welcoming. She too was holding a large stack of books in her arms, and she turned to Madam Pince with her collection who checked them out wordlessly.

"Is it for studying?" she inquired as we made our way out of the library, books in hand and away from the glares of Madam Pince.

"What?" I replied confused, brow crinkled.

She motioned with her head to the book I was carrying and added, "Your book."

"Oh no, it's just for reading," I answered her question, showing her the book I had gotten out.

"_Quidditch Through The Ages_," she read aloud and thought it over.

"It's just research material," I added, and she nodded her head, forging a way through the crowded corridors for us.

"Everyone in school is going a little mad about Quidditch this week," she remarked, and I grinned at her.

"Yeah, it's fun, isn't it?"

"You like Quidditch?" she intoned, her voice filled with surprise. Then she frowned for a moment. "I've never been able to understand the attractions to the game."

"You and Tess and Jackie, it seems," I grinned, and she smiled, amused at me. "I've been a fan probably since my Dad took me to my first Quidditch match by the Appleby Arrows when I was five. I've been hooked ever since."

"I personally find it horrid!" Karine spoke, her nose scrunching up in disgust. "It's always raining when the match is on, it goes on for hours, and it's just too dangerous for my liking."

I raised my eyebrows at her admission, though a playful smile was on my face. "But, Karine," I teased, "you went out with Wood for like a year!"

"And it was awful; the Quidditch talks that went on for days and the pure obsession he has for the sport. I couldn't do it again. At least not be a Quidditch player's girlfriend!"

I laughed genially at this, though I didn't tell her about my absolute love for the sport and anything connected to it. "Well then, I suppose," I smirked, "we should keep you away from all the Quidditch players at the next 7C event: the Quidditch party."

"Probably, though not if it happens to be Roger Davies!" she grinned, and we laughed together as we walked on down the corridor.

* * *

"Oliver's gone crazy!" Angelina Johnson pronounced grumpily as she stormed into the common room on a Wednesday evening. We looked up from where we were slouching on one of the sofas near the middle of the room. The girl seemed to be soaked to the bone, not to mention she was also covered in mud. With her broom slung over one shoulder and her filthy Quidditch robes over the other, she looked the picture of a tired and very frazzled Quidditch player. The portrait opened behind her, and the rest of the team minus Wood stumbled in, looking equally dirty, wet, tired and annoyed.

"Three bloody hours in the rain; the last two we couldn't even see the Quaffle because it was so dark. Bloody Oliver Wood!" Angelina raged on as she slumped herself down on the sofa opposite to where the girls and I were sitting. I like Angelina. She had always been a very sensible and easy-going girl, and even though she was two years behind me, I never felt like I had to act a certain way with her because I was older. She also seemed to get on quite well with everyone, including my group of friends.

"So Wood's started his fanatical training schedule then?" I smirked, and she let out a frustrated sigh and nodded her head. She bent down and began yanking off her heavy Quidditch boots, grimacing at how covered in mud they were.

"He's gone completely gaga; it's worse than other years! He's going to drive the rest of us insane before the end of the season." She then looked up at me and added in a pleading tone, "Christina, please, you gotta do something about Oliver. I can't take much more of these night-time Quidditch training sessions. Can't you get him to lighten up a bit?"

I gave her a look as if she was talking crazy talk and spoke, "What makes you think he's going to listen to me?"

"Well you and him have a thing going on!" she exclaimed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I sighed and replied, "The operative word is had. I'm nothing to Wood. I wish people would just see that!"

"Oh, come on, Christina, even though you keep denying it everyone can see he has a thing for you. Can't you just talk to him?" Angelina retorted quickly. She set the boots down next to the sofa and leaned back, eyes closed.

"Angelina, come on! And honestly, if I was going out with him like the whole school seems to assume, do you honestly think he'd listen to me?" I replied, and she opened an eye, her gaze thoughtful.

"Hmmm, you know you're probably right. He's beyond reasoning."

At that moment the portrait door opened again and in walked an extremely dirty and wet Wood that made Angelina and the rest of the team look clean. Angelina followed my gaze, and when she spotted Wood, her dark features turned into a scowl.

She spun around to face us again and declared, "I'm not gonna stick around; I might just strangle him!" We grinned at her as she got up and made her way up to her dormitory. Wood came sauntering over to us in the process of peeling off his sopping wet Quidditch robes, an action I caught with a slightly glazed look. He slumped down in the seat Angelina had just vacated, dumping his broom and gloves next to him on the floor.

"Evening, ladies," he spoke genially, though you could tell in his voice he was tired.

"Good Quidditch training?" Abby commented with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, which Wood missed as he had bent down and began unlacing his boots.

"Could have been better," he frowned, looking up.

"So you've not been terrorising your team?" I quipped with a smirk on my face. Wood pulled his jumper up over his head, making his soaked T-shirt ride up in the process, and I caught a glimpse of his torso, a slight hint of a six pack showing. My mouth was dry, and I watched, fascinated, my mouth hanging slightly open. Merlin's beard, he had a hot stomach! My mind momentarily drifted to the thought of what he would look like completely shirtless. I was so mesmerised I almost missed his reply. But the sound of his voice grudgingly pulled me out of my very entertaining fantasy.

"What?" he asked confused, obviously not comprehending that his dictatorial ways of training his team could be making him a few enemies in the process.

"So, you haven't been riding your team hard, as the rumours have said?" I replied, smirking at the double meaning of my words. The thought of Wood shirtless hadn't completely left my head, and it attributed to my rather dirty-minded comment. Abby raised a startled eyebrow at me, and Tess and Jackie stifled back a giggle, but surprisingly Wood didn't seem to cop on.

"You shouldn't listen to Slytherin sources, and if any of them ask you anything, don't reply," he said, his tone serious. I gaped at him, astounded that he hadn't used the opportunity to come onto me, considering how easy I just made it. Angelina must be right, for this couldn't be the same Wood; it seemed too strange. I realised that his Quidditch mania had kicked in, and he was lost to normal society.

"You astound me, Wood!" I remarked, letting out a low whistle. Wood didn't seem to want to reply; instead he just propped his dirty and smelly feet up on the coffee table in front of us.

"Ewww, Oliver, I like you but they smell, and so does the rest of you in fact. Seriously, go and shower!" Tess cried out, wrinkling her nose in a way that made her look quite adorable.

"Fine," he stretched, making that damned T-shirt ride up again. Thoughts of a shirtless and very sexy Wood filled my head as I hungrily took in his wet t-shirt that really left nothing to the imagination. "I've gotta go over player strategies again anyway. Night, ladies," he added, picking up his Quidditch gear and wet clothes.

He slowly made his way up to the seventh year boys' dormitory, and when he was gone, I let out another low whistle and said, "Damn!"

"Well, if Chrissie can pull her head out of the gutter for a moment." Abby smirked.

I turned around again and uttered a confused, "What?"

"Chrissie, stop drooling over Oliver for a second," Abby replied, and I scowled at her. "But honestly, Wood's completely lost it!"

"If he ever had it to begin with," Tess added, rolling her eyes whilst inspecting her nails.

"I think we should do something for everyone's sake to get him to come out of his Quidditch mania. It's getting a little ridiculous. I mean come on; he never even reacted when Chrissie tried to come on to him," Abby continued in her speech.

"Hey!" I cried out, annoyed.

Abby just rolled her eyes at me, "You were flirting so don't start. I think we should make sure he goes to the next 7C event that's on Friday. I think normal society and people, maybe a little flirting with Chrissie, and maybe we can have our friend back as opposed to the dictator he is now."

* * *

"You know, I don't care what they say about obsession about Quidditch being a bad thing. I think showing dedication to a sport is a pretty awesome thing," Abby cried out over the pattering of rain as it fell onto the stands where we were currently hiding under a magically charmed umbrella.

"You're preaching to the converted here, Abby; no need to tell me!" I replied, wrapping my winter cloak more tightly around me.

"You know, Cassie Redding actually had the audacity to tell me I should tone down on my obsession today in Muggle Studies!" she implored, frowning. She glanced out onto the pitch and hollered out, "No Alicia, you're meant to roll and then pass!"

"Well Cassie's always been an idiot," I replied, my gaze focussed on the training happening above our heads. Wood suddenly called an end to the Chasers' warm-up passes and I frowned as he seemed to be yelling.

"You don't think we're a little too obsessive about Quidditch, do you?" Abby asked, her tone a little unsure. She pulled her gaze away from the Gryffindor team training and Wood's heated argument with one of his Beaters to gaze at me.

"What?" I cried, cocking an eyebrow at her. I watched with fascination as one of the twins, either Fred or George for I could never tell them apart, gesture dramatically at Wood. "We're not even on the team; we just love watching the sport, that's all."

"Yeah, but we're under a charmed umbrella in the pouring rain watching just another training session for Gryffindor," Abby replied, and I nodded my head at that.

"Okay, so we're a little dedicated. Anyway, don't you wanna know what our team's capabilities for this year are?"

"You're preaching to the converted here," Abby replied, using my line back at me. I grinned at this and became enthralled in the training session occurring over our heads. The Chasers were taking turns trying to score; all the while Wood was darting so fast between the three hoops I almost couldn't see him. It was quite mesmerising watching Wood in his blood red robes dart to and fro, the earnest gaze he held on his Chasers and the level of concentration I was just able to make out from the stands.

"Well, I personally think you've a more nefarious reason for watching Gryffindor train," Abby smirked, and I replied with a hmm, not looking her way. "I mean the fact that Oliver Wood is soaked up there playing what has gotta be your favourite thing in the world has nothing at all to do with the fact you're here, right?"

I pulled my gaze away from Wood and sat up straight, fixing an earnest gaze on Abby. "Abby, I love you, but you're being delusional!"

"Of course, as Tess said the other day, the fact that you're flirting with Oliver is just a trick of the light."

"Yeah, trick of the light," I snorted, and Abby's peals of laughter filled the air around us. We both looked up when we heard a loud crash, and I was just able to catch the last of what was a terrifying collision in mid-air. We jumped up, hands on our mouths as Alicia and Wood seemed to be in slow motion, colliding into each other twenty feet up in the air. My own face was horror-struck, and I imagine Abby's was much the same.

"Oh, dear sweet Merlin!" she gasped, clutching my hand tightly in hers. Both players seemed to sway for a moment, limbs connecting them, and slowly but surely they broke apart. Somehow, miraculously, their brooms managed to stay in mid-air, and neither looked seriously injured. My own mouth was still wide open, a horrified expression on my face as I watched Wood steady himself on his broom and test his wrists and arms. His gaze drifted down and caught mine, and I realised I must have cried out in the process. His gaze was firm and steady, and a minute later it was gone, directed at Alicia who he helped to the ground. It was only when his gaze was from mine that I expelled the sigh I hadn't realised I had held in. Both players landed on the ground, and Wood fussed over Alicia for another few minutes before they both jumped on their brooms and resumed training.

"Chrissie, they're alright," Abby spoke softly, clasping my hand. I mutely nodded my head, though my eyes were trained on Wood and Alicia.

"Chrissie?" she asked, a little unsure.

"I know they're fine." I smiled at her to show I was fine, and she smiled, relieved.

After a few minutes of silence in which we watched Harry repeatedly chase after the Snitch and catch it, I laughed lightly to myself as a realisation came over me.

"You know, I think we are a little obsessed with Quidditch."

"But you just said we weren't," Abby replied, quickly glancing at me.

"Look at us," I intoned, tone dry. "We're crouched under a charmed umbrella watching Gryffindor train which they happen to do four times a week. We're obsessed."

"Yeah, I was thinking that too," Abby mused, and we returned our attention back to the training session above our heads, the rain making sure we were getting wetter by the minute.

* * *

Whenever my friends and I sat around in a group on the sofas in the common room it was not uncommon that with three boys the topic often switched to Quidditch. It was quite natural; they despised what they considered girly talk i.e. Tess telling us the latest gossip and hook-ups, and even Jackie's discussions on particular pieces of homework or Transfiguration theory she read that day couldn't keep their attention span for very long. It seemed no matter what the conversation may have started with, inevitably it ended up on the topic of Quidditch. Not that Abby or I ever minded; we found it refreshing having new people to discuss our favourite sport with. This is exactly what happened on Thursday evening, one day before the 7C event, the much-talked about Quidditch party.

"Mate," Ethan exclaimed, his comment directed at Oliver who was sitting opposite him, Abby on the one side and Aiden on the other. "I don't care what you say; the Tornadoes are making a come-back. Give them a year or two, and they're going to win the League." Tess and Jackie let out a collective groan, and I smirked at them.

"They just signed Aclareon Bristow to the team. They're gonna be big!" I added, smiling as Abby nodded her head.

"Margate, how many times do I have to tell you they're shite!" Wood smirked, and I glared at him.

"Well, excuse me, Wood, if I decide not to believe your bullshit!" I replied snippily, and Tess and Jackie groaned even louder this time.

"Oh God, Chrissie and Oliver are arguing again; that's my cue to leave," Jackie sighed. She yawned loudly and said her goodbyes, Tess following behind her.

"That has gotta be a record," Ethan remarked, watching Tess and Jackie make their way up to our dormitory. "Christina and Oliver have never gotten them to leave that early before."

"They are getting better," Abby smirked, and I shot a dirty look at her.

"They just know that I'm right and don't want to see the humiliation brought on Margate when I once again prove her wrong," Wood replied smugly.

"Do tell me, Wood, when have you ever been right about Quidditch?" I implored, crossing my arms over my chest. Wood wore a satisfied smirk, his eyes raking over me in a way that made me decidedly uncomfortable, further adding reasons as to why I really didn't like Oliver Wood.

"Tell me who won the League last year?" That satisfied smirk was becoming way too much for me to bear.

"The Wasps," I gritted out, eyes flashing dangerously. "And we all know that was a fluke that no-one expected! It doesn't prove you know anything about Quidditch teams other than you can make a lucky guess!"

"Margate's just pissed because she's come to the conclusion that girls haven't got a clue about the finer points of Quidditch," Wood commented, turning to Ethan who the remark was obviously meant for. He was grinning and with every moment he kept on smiling, I grew more livid.

"You seriously didn't bring gender into this," I grit out, my voice dangerously low, eyes flashing maniacally.

"Uh-oh," Ethan said warily, his eyes darting from me who was looking very furious to a smug Wood. "Hey, Abby, you feel up for a walk, maybe far away from here?"

Abby, who had been watching Wood and myself intently for these last few minutes, raised her head and replied, "Definitely. Let's go and see if we can send a few curses at Peeves. I still need to get him back for ratting me out to Filch." They both promptly got up from their spots on the sofa and darted out of the common room, leaving me with Wood opposite to where I sat.

"Wow, they're really frightened of you," Wood commented, eyebrows raised.

"That's because they know better than to piss me off, unlike you who must have a death wish!" I warned threateningly. "Now are you going to retract that comment about women not knowing anything about Quidditch?"

"Nope," Wood grinned, propping his elbows on his knees, his head resting on his palms. "Because we all know it's true." I growled, beginning to lose that tender control I was holding onto my volatile temper. I knew I wasn't going to win the argument this way. I swallowed the anger I felt for the idiotic Quidditch player sitting opposite me.

"So, you're saying the female Chasers on your team haven't got a clue about the sport? I can't believe you could possibly be so chauvinistic!" I yelled, glaring savagely at Wood leaning towards me, still taunting me with that smirk.

"Oh you misunderstand me, Margate," he said easily, and I began to wonder if I would ever see him stop grinning. His comment threw me for a second, and I raised a confused eyebrow. "What I mean with girls are girly girls not like my Chasers but ones like you."

"Oh, you are just beyond believable. I can't believe people that are so sexist and rude like you still exist!" I lashed out, arms gesturing wildly, a sign I had lost all control over my temper and was just seeing red. Apart from the fact that I felt beyond pissed off, I was also incredibly offended at his words.

_How dare he judge me just because I like wearing dresses and care about my appearance_, I thought viciously. He had no right to suppose he even knew me, and the fact that he was judging me on my appearance was just a testament to that. I loved Quidditch and clothes; why did girls always have to be stereotyped into one of these categories? It made no sense. Was it not humanly possible that maybe a girl liked getting soaked outside in the rain, covered in mud and still like dressing up? I honestly didn't know that Wood could be so backward to think that, and on top of the myriad of strong emotions I felt for him at that moment, I also felt disappointment. He was just like the others, and what made it all the more a let-down is he was worse than the rest. The anger seemed to be abating into a strong sense of dissatisfaction, and I gazed at him, leaning forward in the process.

"I'm disappointed in you, Wood," I said heavily and then dropped my gaze.

"Merlin, Margate," Wood snapped, rolling his eyes. "I was just trying to wind you up!"

"Why the hell would you do that?" I yelled, frustrated at Wood's inability to be a social person without offending everyone in the process. "What do you honestly have against me and Quidditch?"

"You claim to be such an expert on the sport, say you love Quidditch so much, obsess about it more than anyone I know, and yet you've never once tried out for the team!" Wood replied, his tone raised, eyes boring sharply into mine.

"So this is what this is all about?" I cried incredulously, eyebrows raised. "Have you ever considered the possibility that maybe I didn't want to play? Are you going to tell me now I can't even love the sport just because I don't play it?"

"You either love it and play it, or you're just a fake," Wood spoke coolly, shrugging his shoulders.

"So this is what you think of me?" I cried, hurt mingling with the fury I felt towards him.

"I just don't get why you never tried out for the team," Wood replied quickly, the sharpness from his voice gone. He looked like he regretted saying those words.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore," I intoned, voice void of emotion. I quickly got up off the sofa and made my way up to the girls' dormitory. Halfway up the staircase I caught Wood's voice, and despite my better will I stopped, back turned.

"Why are you so afraid of telling me why you never tried out?" I refused to reply and kept walking up the stairs. I opened the door and let it slam behind me, not even realising that the rest of the girls were up in the dormitory, including Sally, Anne Marie and Denise, our room-mates. I marched over to my bed, pulling the half written article for the next edition of the paper out of my bag with a quill and ink well and threw myself on my bed. Abby got up off her bed and gingerly sat down at the bottom of my bed, but I took no notice of her, all the while muttering to myself about what a bastard Wood was.

"I'm going to show him that I know something about Quidditch!" I hissed venomously. "The nerve of him even asking me why I never tried out for the team!"

* * *

So why then didn't I try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team back in third year when I would have been old enough to make it? Despite how much Wood offended and pissed me off by asking that question and insinuating that I had neither the knowledge nor the right to love Quidditch, it did raise a good question in me. Why didn't I? I mean I'm not disabled nor do I have a fear of heights, flying balls, the sport or anything associated with Quidditch. I was alright on my broom, didn't have any traumatising events on it that might cause me to be wary of playing on a broom and it certainly wasn't for a lack of knowledge about the sport as Wood so eloquently insinuated. It still didn't answer my question though, and if anything it left me wondering. Whenever Abby would have asked me the question I told her I wasn't obsessed enough to play on the team, but lately with the Quidditch season beginning again I could see that was not the truth. I mean I was lazy, but was that the only reason?

"What stopped you?" Jackie queried, her head propped on her elbows as she leaned towards me, eyes wide and expressive.

"I don't know. Obviously I couldn't try out in first year and second year, well who makes it onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team in second year?" I asked, sighing. Jackie gave me a small smile, which I returned.

"But in third year you would have been old enough and experienced enough," Jackie spoke softly. "And Charlie Weasley was always pretty good about taking young people on no matter what people thought of them."

"Wow, Jackie," I breathed, grinning at her. "Did you just display some knowledge on Quidditch?"

She pursed her lips as if she was trying very hard not to smile. "Well I have been friends with you and Abby since second year. Your talks about Quidditch were eventually going to seep into my brain."

"Too true!" I laughed, and she laughed lightly with me.

She sobered up and sent me a sympathetic smile. "Oliver was just trying to make you mad, Chrissie; don't let it hurt you."

"I know," I replied pensively. "At first he was trying to wind me up, but when he accused me of being fake he was being serious."

"He's just not good at expressing his emotions. It has a habit of being blurted out in such a way it offends certain people. He shouldn't have done that but don't let it bring you down."

"I know, and I'm trying not to. I just didn't expect him to be such an ass," I breathed out, dropping my head down, arms resting on my legs. I drew back up again and looked Jackie in the eye, noticing that her grey eyes contrasted with her auburn hair yet at the same time complemented them perfectly. I wondered why I never noticed that. "It does help that I'm still furious over what he said to me. Maybe he did have a point though."

"Don't say that!" Jackie cried, taking my hands in hers. "You're not a fake just because you never played the sport!"

"I did when I was younger, though," I admitted, and Jackie looked baffled at me. "My Dad is Quidditch mad, and he was determined to have a child that would understand his obsession. I used to go to Quidditch training twice a week, and I even played for Cornwall's Youth Quidditch Team when I was seven or eight."

"But I don't understand," Jackie said, face scrunched up.

"I just wasn't good enough. I dropped out after two years when it became abundantly clear that I just didn't have the talent to take it further than a youth Quidditch team," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"Oh, Chrissie!" Jackie sighed, and she stood up from her seat and came over to hug me. "That doesn't make you a fake at all!"

"Yeah, but Wood doesn't know that!" I quipped bitterly, and Jackie shushed me, her hands running up and down my back in a soothing gesture. She drew back and sat back down on her seat.

"Maybe you should tell him," she replied, and I looked at her.

* * *

Despite how much I hated the rain and the general British weather because it always inevitably rained, there was something quite soothing about listening to the downfall patter onto the hard stone floor. I had been feeling decidedly unlike myself after Wood's accusations last night and usually when I was feeling out of spirits and I needed to be by myself I went to one place: the Astronomy Tower and its balcony. I mused for a moment, a slight smile on my lips, that it seemed quite ironic I went to a place for solace and peace where, according to Tess, half the school came to hook up, making it decidedly unpeaceful. I let the thought slide and wrapped my cloak tighter around myself and propped myself further up against the wall in an attempt to get away from the splatters of rain that would occasionally hit me.

"Merlin, Margate, you sure know how to hide!" I sighed, dropping my head further, but I knew Wood wasn't going to go away so I raised it again and gave him a dead look. So much for solace.

"What are you doing here, Wood?" I spoke, expressionless.

"I need to talk to you," he replied carefully, and I drew myself up off the hard ground.

"Well, I've got nothing to say to you. I'm leaving," I intoned and began to walk back to the door leading down the staircase.

"Wait, Margate. Christina," he said, his voice kind, and I realised he was holding onto my arm to stop me from walking away.

"Take your hand of me, Wood!" I hissed coldly. "You have some right talking to me after the bullshit you pulled on me!" I yanked my arm out of his slackened grip and made to walk around him.

"I'm sorry, Christina!" His voice was pleading and involuntarily I stopped, back turned. It seemed to be becoming a habit of mine, I mused bitterly. I spun around on the spot, eyes hard.

"You think that every time you are an asshole to me you can just say you're sorry, and I'm going to forgive you?"

"Well I am!" Wood replied sharply, and he must have remembered he was supposed to apologise to me so he softened his tone. "I shouldn't have called you a fake, and I shouldn't accuse you of not knowing anything about Quidditch just because you don't play." I nodded my head at that and surprisingly I believed his apology. Then a thought came to me, and I caught his gaze.

"You were talking to someone, weren't you?"

"What?" he asked, face scrunched up in confusion, but I didn't buy it. A smile was forming on my lips, and I watched him flounder for a moment. It was so amusing and unusual to see Oliver Wood discomposed that I almost felt special to have caused it. Usually Wood was the one to cause such discomposure in me, and now the roles were reversed.

"Just tell me which of the girls got to you first?"

"Ummm," Wood floundered, and I tried very hard not to smile, but unfortunately I failed spectacularly.

"It was Jackie," Wood confessed, a sheepish smile on his face that made him look oddly endearing and childlike. I was surprised, and I must have looked it for Wood seemed to relax a little when he saw that I wasn't immediately going to snap his head off.

"But I did mean to apologise. Jackie just made sure I did it sooner rather than later," Wood added quickly, and I nodded my head again.

"Alright, Wood," I replied slowly.

"Are you forgiving me?" he asked, crinkling an eyebrow, and I rolled my eyes at this.

"Yes I am; don't worry. I'm not going to castrate you in your sleep!"

A horrified look passed across his face which I had to smirk at and it seemed to settle in a grin. "Good to have you back, Margate!"

"Yeah, well, I'm leaving now, Wood," I smirked and left Wood to his own devices on top of the Astronomy Tower.

* * *

This time around the 7C event wasn't half as draining as the first one, and since the girls didn't feel the need to play Barbie with me as the victim I wasn't half as self conscious about myself. I had dressed down in a denim skirt and multi-coloured T-shirt with the band logo Ace of Base on it and hair that was as wild as ever. I was happily mingling through the crowd, pausing to chat to people every so often in what Abby called my aimless wandering habit at a party. I had spent the last hour chatting animatedly to Karine on the pros and cons of sports guys versus the regular ones, much to my delight. Even though she still hated the sport, the fit boys and their muscles she had no qualms with. The other half hour of the time since I had arrived at the party were filled with aimless wandering, pausing only to reassure a slightly frantic Amelia, my editor, that even though my article was meant to have been handed in, she would receive it before Sunday.

I paused for a moment in the middle of the party which was once again held in the Come-and-Go Room and admired the decorations. The four House Quidditch team flags hung one on each wall, and the rest of the space on the walls was taken up with assorted Quidditch paraphernalia. This time though there were more sofas that were sporadically spread throughout the room, Quidditch magazines laying everywhere, and the table with the alcohol was well stocked and frequented. The lighting was brighter than the last time, and even though soft music was playing from somewhere, most people were slumped on the sofas or standing in groups chatting animatedly. All in all, Abby and the rest of the committee had managed to pull off another great feat. The icing on the cake undoubtedly for me was the House Quidditch players scattered around the room talking about my favourite topic and were seen as the centre of attention.

My gaze fell to Wood who was surrounded by his usual group of boys and girls who acted as hangers-on. I rolled my eyes as I took in Wood grinning devilishly at what one of the girls had just said, his favourite Quidditch team jersey and a worn pair of jeans on, hair adorably mussed. He appeared in his element, having everyone's rapt attention as he bragged once again about a spectacular save he had performed. Because the first match of the season was a Gryffindor game and it was only a week away, as Captain everyone commanded his attention, and he walked around like the star attraction, a peacock prancing, showing off his plumage. It was already swelling his already inflated ego to epic proportions. Boy, he was going to be hard to talk to rationally tonight! A Gryffindor win was almost expected of the outcome of the first match, and the way Wood was acting, you'd swear they had already won it and he had done it single-handedly! I snorted at this and turned away, making my way back to Aiden and Ethan who were conversing easily about the first Quidditch match.

"I've heard of the Weasley twins; the latest odds for Malfoy being beaten by Potter are two to one," Ethan informed Aiden, who was shaking his head from side to side.

"That's pretty much a given already. I'd put my money on something more profitable," Aiden replied, and Ethan nodded his head.

"Did you hear some of the stranger bets going on? The sixth year Hufflepuff lads have apparently a pool going on Dementors appearing at the game and which player is going to succumb to them first!"

"Madness!" Aiden laughed, rolling his eyes at the idiocy of the lads.

"Those lads were always a little crazy in my eyes," I scoffed, and they nodded their heads. I glanced around and saw that Tess was flirting shamelessly with Joshua Goldstein, Jackie seemed to have disappeared into the crowd, and Abby was watching Tess' antics with an amused smile and a Butterbeer in her hand. She gave me a luminous smile and turned to a boy who was trying to get her attention, blushing far too furiously for anyone not to notice. Abby of course, seemed not to even comprehend that the boy fancied her rotten; she just smiled serenely at his attempts at conversation and spoke to him as if he were another normal person.

Aiden seemed to comprehend what I was watching and leaned in closer, his cheek brushing against mine as he leaned over my shoulder.

"Look at that; Abby's being chatted up again," he commented, and I grinned.

"And as usual she's completely unaware. Poor bloke. Someone should tell him he's failing terribly," I replied and turned my head to look at Aiden only to see he was smirking.

"In all the years at Hogwarts, I've never seen her with a bloke. I'm starting to believe what people are suggesting: that she must be a lesbian or celibate."

"Aiden!" I cried, smacking his arm, and he gave me an apologetic look. "That's my best friend you're talking about!"

"Sorry, sweetheart," he replied, eyes downcast in what he was obviously hoping would look contrite. "But you gotta see where people are coming from."

"Well, what about Jackie; she's never been with anyone either!" I spoke, defending my best friend's honour from rumours that had been following her for a few years. These rumours never went very far, for Abby was too well liked, and after a while people just accepted it was an odd quirk about her.

"We all know Jackie's abstaining until she's finished her N.E.W.T.s; she's said that many times," Aiden said, his tone neutral in the hope I wouldn't become more annoyed with him.

"Abby's just…" I paused, contemplating how to explain her to Aiden properly. "She's just not that interested. I don't think it's anything to do with being gay or even not being interested in anything like that of the sort. I think she's just not found anyone who could possibly interest her in that way, which of course has been driving more than half the boys in our year and sixth year crazy!" I laughed genially, and Aiden nodded his head.

"As always your perception of your friends is impeccable, sunshine," he replied, draping his arms around my shoulders from where he stood behind me, and I leaned into him.

"Hey, where did Ethan go?" I quipped, turning my head to see he wasn't standing next to us anymore.

"Had to go off somewhere so you're just stuck with me." I smiled at this and didn't bother replying. We stood like that in companionable silence for a few minutes, watching the room around us with interest and detachment.

"Ah, I see your lover boy is coming over," Aiden spoke, and I could feel the words rumbling through my body from our close proximity. I snorted at Aiden's usage of words and wondered briefly who he was talking about until my eyes caught Oliver Wood walking over. Aiden dropped his arms around me and stepped away. "I'm going to go find Jackie; you go have fun talking to Wood!" He smirked at that last part, and I whacked his arm though I tried my hardest to suppress a smile. Aiden always left me in too good a mood to ever argue with him properly. He winked at me and walked off. All the while I thought that he was taking far too many lessons from Wood on being charming.

Wood drew up close to me, and I let the thought slide, watching him as he scrutinised my appearance, his brows furrowed for a moment before they relaxed.

"Why, Margate, you're not wearing a Quidditch jersey!" Wood let out, feigning shock, and then he cocked his head to one side and raised an eyebrow. "We're at a Quidditch party; pray do tell why?"

"It's dirty, and I didn't lay it aside in time to get it cleaned. Besides you see me in my Arrows jersey all the time," I responded with a suppressed smile.

"Ah, but that's not the same. You shouldn't be wearing Arrows jerseys; I know ones that would look so much better on you!" Wood replied, the ends of his mouth quirking upwards in a suggestive smile.

"Oh, do tell; what could that be?" I gasped, though my acting wasn't nearly half as good as Wood's, and a small smile escaped my hardest attempts to keep a straight face.

"Why a Gryffindor jersey of course!" I laughed and nodded at that. He did have a point. "But you know what would be the best thing about it?"

"What, Wood?" I replied coyly, taking in Wood's handsome face as he beamed at me, his height meaning he was as always towering over my small frame. I could smell his musky scent and what was unmistakably _him_. It was very intoxicating, and I had to concentrate very hard not to slip into one of my thoughts again.

"It would be a Gryffindor Keeper jersey with the word Wood on the back. I think you would make it look very sexy. Maybe to top it all off you'd have nothing on underneath," Wood purred huskily and a blush crept up on my cheeks at what Wood was insinuating.

Mustering all my courage, I looked up into his eyes and smirked back at him. "It's not gonna happen, Wood."

"Oh, you're such a tease, Margate!" he huffed then took a step towards me. My nose was almost touching his chest, and I was mesmerised by the rise and fall of it as he took in a breath and let it out again.

"Only to keep you on your toes, Wood," I teased, smirking up at him in a way that would make Wood proud. He reached out with his left hand and touched a tendril of hair that had sprung loose from the rest of the hair I had quickly tied up. He fingered it with his hand, letting it run through his fingers before letting it fall again all the while keeping his eyes on me, his smile mischievous.

"So, no sexy little dress on this time, Margate?" Wood spoke huskily, his hand reaching out again to run through strands of my hair. The act was so bold and sexy it was intoxicating. What was more, it emboldened me and made me feel incredibly sexy and confident that Wood was shamelessly flirting with me even though I constantly turned him down.

"Oh, there was no need for one this time," I replied breezily, glancing up at him with a small smile on my face. His fingertips brushing against the back of my neck were sending shivers down my spine, and I itched to lean into his brushes against my skin.

"Why is that so, Margate?" Wood's lips looked so inviting, and I saw him lean in closer to me. An idea suddenly formed in my head, and I suppressed the smirk as I gazed up into his sparkling green eyes.

I leaned up against him, bringing my lips up against his right ear, and I could feel his body stiffen with me so close. I bit back a smile and breathed huskily into his ear, "Because I've already got you begging for me without ever needing to resort to frilly dresses." I pulled back and watched the look of pure hunger and shock flash across his face, and I tried my hardest not to smirk up at him at that moment. "Oh, by the way, Wood," I added, the corners of my mouth curving upwards, leaning in closer to him again. "You might want to rearrange your jeans a little." Watching his jaw drop was the most satisfying thing I had seen in a long time, and I let out a light laugh as I turned around and walked away from him.

Spotting the girls a few metres away, each wearing looks of surprise and glee on their faces, I made my way over to them, repressing every single desire to turn around and take in Wood's shocked visage. Even though I couldn't see his face, I knew every step I took he was watching hungrily and that thought made me want to punch the air in delight.

"What did you say to him?" Tess cried, mouth agape as she grabbed my arm and dragged me closer to her.

"Nothing much of importance; just told him he might want to rearrange his jeans after our little conversation," I replied, grinning from ear to ear.

"Wow, Chrissie. I so didn't believe you ever had that in you!" Abby breathed, seeming awed by my bold actions.

"I'm impressed, Chrissie," Jackie spoke, seeming to not quite believe that had been me.

"I'm itching to see what he's looking like right now, but if I turn around all my effort is going to be ruined. Tell me, what's Wood doing?"

"Well," Tess began around me to where I assumed Wood was still standing.

"It looks like someone hit him in the head with a Bludger," she replied then added, "What did you do to him?"

"Oh, just turned the tables around a little," I grinned. "It was about time I got the upper hand!"

* * *

_**Calliope's Guide to Hogwarts**_

_A Public, Personal and Gendered Obsession with Quidditch_

_Quidditch: two syllables; one simple word. To some it's just another noun used to describe a wizarding sport. To others it's a way of life, a passion and maybe even an obsession. So in this article I look at three types of Quidditch obsession: the public, personal and gendered take on Quidditch. The first I will look at is the public take on the fixation on the sport. _

_Throughout the centuries and probably since it's invention at the turn of the millennium, Quidditch has been loved to such an extent it's been known to be obsessive. Players centuries ago were so determined to win for their team they would stop at nothing, performing moves that are not only illegal today but highly questioned for their morality. Not much has changed today. Even looking closer to home, games of Quidditch played at Hogwarts have been known to be obsessive and extreme. Madam Pomfrey has seen more Quidditch related injuries than all others combined. Even the length some games have gone on are a testament to that. But this obsession isn't just found in the players and assorted fans that flock to their favourite teams' stadiums and Championships but practically the majority of the population. Take Hogwarts around this time of year before the first dates of the games are announced when house teams begin their training, and you will see an almost feverish quality descend upon Hogwarts that isn't confined to the players alone. The entire school becomes Quidditch mad at the beginning of October when the Quidditch season kicks off and this obsession, this feverish atmosphere, can even be seen in the teachers. The legendary rivalry between Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape over their Quidditch teams is always a sign of the obsession some people descend in their love for the sport. So this is where I ask the question: is the Quidditch obsession the entire school descends into every year too extreme?_

_Take for example a case study of an unnamed Quidditch team at Hogwarts from a few years ago. This Quidditch team started the season off very well. The players were expertly trained, and coupled with the hype of an extremely talented Chaser who had just been added to the team, within a few weeks this house team was already seen as a favourite to win the Cup. A lot of pressure was placed on this team; they were expected to perform as well as the general hype said they would, and for the first two or three matches they sufficiently lived up to these expectations. But then things started going awry. Rumours spread that the team was being trained to exhaustion, there had developed serous in-fighting, right down to the new Chaser was far too cocky__who no one got on with. Whether these rumours were ever true, no one ever found out, but it fuelled the descent of this team. They began to lose easy matches, they made spectacular mistakes and this same crowd that heralded them as the new champions and adored them for it soon turned on the team. By the end of the Quidditch season they were bottom of the table, the team was disgraced, and even their own house was ashamed of their Quidditch team. Is this not a prime example of the extremity that Quidditch obsession can go to? I heard some of the players regretted that year even years after it happened. Some never played again, and those few that had dreamed of following in a career playing Quidditch after Hogwarts had their hopes dashed when no offers were made. The story is still spoken of in Hogwarts, though no-one ever mentions how the players of the team ever suffered. Undoubtedly the hype that surrounded this team led to their own downfall, a hype it is said they helped foster, so one could argue that it was their own fault. But if one were to ask, was it the obsession for Quidditch that helped foster that hype? Maybe another question to ponder to better understand this mania surrounding Britain's best loved sport is to go to the root of this obsession, to focus on our second point: the personal aspect of the obsession over Quidditch, why a person would love the sport. Why don't we look at a typical Hogwarts Quidditch player?_

"_Quidditch isn't just a sport; it's my life!" Moving, maybe slightly fanatical words spoken by a captain of one of the house teams. I think this is a very good statement to ponder on. Do we call this certain player a fanatic, an obsessive fan, or do we say that this person has a valid point? Well firstly I think it's all a matter of perspective, whether we think love for a sport is obsessive or not. Ask a Quidditch player who makes a living and has a career through the sport whether it's just an unhealthy obsession or not, and I'm sure they would grow quite defensive and upset, but then if we ask someone like Madam Pomfrey who spends most of her time healing said Quidditch players' injuries, and she will whole heartedly agree with you. But what about our fanatical Quidditch player? He or she is still in school, they are not making a living through the sport, and though some may have aspirations to follow into a career in the sport, the time is not yet upon them. Are they not just wasting extra time that should be spent on their homework and their studies? One could argue that because he's captain of his house team, he has certain responsibilities to his team and his house to make sure the team performs to its full potential and as such is able to win valued house points. But then that argument is countered with the fact that we can look at other captains from the past and present and see not everyone would have taken the love for the sport to such an extreme. That said Quidditch players' marks are probably suffering due to said obsession is a given no matter how dedicated they may claim to be to their studies. I mean how healthy is it that this person becomes almost a zombie just because the Quidditch season has begun at Hogwarts again? When he doesn't even realise other people are making fun of him in front of his face it should set off warning bells that this person is lost to normal society. Social interaction is a vital part of life and is necessary for existence in everyday life. Yet when one person is incapable just because a sporting season has begun, we should ask ourselves if this obsession hasn't been brought to the extreme. This person obviously needs to cut back a little and socialise more, realise the year doesn't revolve around when Quidditch matches are on and maybe even see a future outside the sport. But then, maybe I'm being a little harsh for I, too, am an avid Quidditch fa__n. So maybe I should examine the third aspect on the fanaticism of Quidditch: a gender's obsession with the sport._

_When one usually talks about the obsession of Quidditch, the speaker always seems to assume that the subject of the conversation is male. That is a strange thought considering we are living in the twentieth century and women have equal rights and have certainly enjoyed that privilege for quite a while. Quidditch itself even since its start hasn't been gender biased, yet when we talk about the obsession __with Quidditch, it is always assumed only males could befall such a situation. Just by looking at the Quidditch teams and the ratio of men to women in this year's League we see that, although the ratio isn't equal, it is certainly not like women are excluded. Gryffindor has three female Quidditch players, Hufflepuff has four, Ravenclaw has two, and Slytherin is the only team that consists of only males this year. Though no females are captains this year, it isn't proof that their love for the sport isn't as strong as that of any boy in the school. Should their desire to train hard into the late hours in the pouring rain and thunder not be a testament to their love and fanaticism to the sport? While the female Quidditch players at school are given some form of credibility, those that don't play aren't treated with the same respect. It seems for a girl to love the sport, trying out for the team seems to be a prerequisite. So what happens if you're just an ordinary person who either doesn't have the talent or the desire to play but is still an avid fan that watches every game and reads every issue of the Quidditch magazines? Well, by the behaviour of certain people in this school you are either branded a fake or not taken seriously. Just because women may not react the same way when obsessed with the sport does not mean they love it any less. Should we all act catatonic and unsocial just because the Quidditch season has begun, unresponsive to normal human behaviour and signs of other human life? Is a desire to sit in the pouring rain to watch your team train not an example of how much you love the sport? Does the fact that you can't stop analysing players' strategies or discussing chances of certain teams of winning matches not attest that maybe you do know something about Quidditch and love the sport just as much as said captain I spoke of previously? Even though the sport hasn't been gender biased for many centuries it seems who is considered a true fan still is. The same we can see still exists at Hogwarts. Has the female stereotype of wanting to wear pretty clothes and only care for one's appearance, boys and homework become so bad that the thought of a girl actually liking a sport where you sit in the worst weather conditions outside imaginable for a few hours, get filthy if you play and generally end up sizing up the stats of opposing teams is so hard to grasp? My answer to these questions to all those people who doubt my claims is this: girls can like dresses and clothes and Quidditch at the same time. It is possible! Call it multi-tasking, some freak mutation in our genes, or just plain hormones; it doesn't matter, but our female Quidditch players at this school and even the international ones should be concrete proof enough that we can manage both. So this is going out to the idiot that actually proposed the thought girls couldn't understand the finer points of Quidditch or love it as much as the boys; you have no clue what you're talking about!_

_Having gotten that off my chest and shown the versatility of the obsession surrounding Quidditch, the question of whether this fanaticism can go into the extreme is still as unanswered as before. Certainly on individual cases we can examine the erratic behaviour of certain Quidditch fans and see that their love for the sport has gone to the side of extremism and for their own sake it should be toned down, and while public obsession has a habit of going down the same route and should be toned down too, gendered obsession seems to be striving for the opposite. Only through our complete dedication to the sport and by showing those still doubting that women can be obsessed by it do we get any form of credibility and respect in the sporting world. But since I should probably answer my own question just a little I'll settle for this: one may spend unhealthy amounts of time on a sport or pastime, but never before have I seen such togetherness in society and even at Hogwarts than at a game of Quidditch. _

_Until next time._

_Calliope, 1993._

* * *

"Why hello, Margate," Oliver Wood announced cheerily as he pulled out the seat next to me at the table in the library where I was currently making my way through my Astronomy charts. I sent him a sideways glance and finished writing in the last moon of Jupiter before responding with a comment.

"What, not pestering your team with up-to-date Quidditch tactics, or have they finally told you your fanaticism is a little too much?"

He ignored my comment and decided to remain in his spiffing mood for he added, "Absolutely brilliant day, isn't it?"

I looked out the window next to me and replied with a raised eyebrow, "It's raining outside. I'm not sure I would call that brilliant." The wind, as if agreeing with me, became particularly violent, howling loudly outside the window, sending the rain splattering against the pane.

"Well, I admit it wouldn't be the best for walking outside," he spoke, the enthusiasm from his voice gone a little. I rolled my eyes, returning to the charts I was completing.

"But," he chirped brightly, and I dropped my quill back in its ink well, knowing I would get no opportunity to work in peace with Wood sitting next to me. The fact that he looked very handsome today with his hair mussed and the sleeves of his school shirt rolled up didn't help the matter, and I kept trying to remind myself not to stare at his tanned arms. "It is, however, a perfect day to read the paper." He threw a copy of the latest edition of Hogwarts News onto the table, right on top of my Astronomy charts.

"Good for you, Wood!" I snorted, packing up my stuff as it was obvious I wasn't going to get the homework done in the library with Wood pestering me, and I was in no humour to have him antagonise me no matter how good he looked today. "I'm sure if it's just something about Quidditch, in which case I've already read it, and if it's anything about you then frankly I don't think it's healthy to boost that over-inflated ego of yours any more."

"Ouch, Margate, that's harsh," he pouted, and I resisted the urge to smile for it made him look even hotter. Damn! And then he smirked devilishly, leaning in closer to me. "Or has someone gotten your knickers in a twist?"

"As if!" I snorted, feeling a blush creep up on my cheeks.

"Shame," he replied, pulling a sad face which I was determined not to fall for. "But getting back to the point, this might be about me a little, but it more closely concerns you." He opened the newspaper to page seven and pointed to my article that was running along the side of the page. "No, this is more about you, Christina, or should I call you Calliope?" There was an ear-splitting grin on his face. I blanched, my throat closing up as I stared at him, mouth hanging slightly open which could not be attractive in the slightest.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said nervously.

Wood dropped his elbow on the table, head resting on it as he gave me a disbelieving look, adding, "Oh come on, Margate, can't you do better than that?"

"Do you honestly believe that is me?" I sighed, deciding to act like what he proposed was foolish. I pointed to the article uttering, "Where's your proof?"

"Fine, Margate, do it your way," said Wood, shaking his head as he picked up the paper, rustling it just to annoy me and then read out, "'Quidditch isn't just a sport; it's my life!'" Moving and maybe slightly fanatical words spoken by a Quidditch captain of one of the house teams. Do we call this certain player a fanatic, an obsessive fan, or do we say that this person has a valid point?' So, Margate, are you still gonna deny that was you, considering I said those exact same words to you a few days ago?" His tone was emotionless though there was a smirk on his face.

"You know?" I groaned, embarrassment flooding my cheeks and suddenly I couldn't even look him in the eye, so I dropped my head onto the table, arms around my face so he wouldn't see how red I was.

"Yeah, I did. That and your little rant about girls being just as able to be obsessed about Quidditch as the blokes just made it screamingly obvious." He grinned and then he mused, a thoughtful expression on his face, "I didn't expect it to be you, Margate, though in hindsight it does explain a few things."

"You're not gonna tell anyone, are you?" I groaned out, though it was very muffled as I still had my head in my arms, and my voice couldn't travel well through hard oak tables.

"Dunno; making you squirm does seem like a fun pastime." Wood chuckled, but I lifted my head at that remark, my expression frantic. With one hand I pushed my fair hair out of my face, and with the other I gripped Wood's arm, eyes pleading.

"Please don't say anything, Wood! No-one's meant to know that's me, and I really don't want anyone to find out. You can't tell a soul, please!"

"Such softness directed towards me, Margate? I didn't think that was possible!" Wood replied, tone filled with surprise though I could detect he was teasing me.

"Wood!" I warned then, realising I wouldn't get him to agree to anything if we fought again, I added in a beseeching tone, hoping to sway his humanity, "Please promise me you won't tell a soul!" He leaned in closer to me and looked down to see that I was still gripping his arm, but when he looked up there was a teasing grin on his face.

"And why should I?"

"Do it for me just once, please!" I caught his stare and held it, locked in the strength of his gaze. My mouth suddenly felt very dry again, and the hairs on my arm were standing up. I could feel the body heat radiating off him; he was literally very hot. After a moment Wood mutely nodded his head, and I expelled a relieved sigh, pulling my hand back. A wave of self-consciousness washed over me, and I dropped my head, cheeks tinted red with a blush. I couldn't deny that I had just felt a jolt of electricity when our gazes connected and I wondered if he had felt it too. I slowly raised my head and uttered a thank you, though for some reason I didn't have full control over my voice, and it came out much softer than I anticipated. He nodded his head, and I sent him a smile.

"I won't tell a soul, Margate," he spoke softly, and I nodded my head, not daring to look him in the eye so instead I kept my gaze on the window across from me.

"Margate, I swear I won't tell anyone," he said again, and I realised he probably thought I didn't believe him.

I instead turned my gaze on him and replied with a slight smile, "I know." He held my gaze, and I felt the jolt of electricity go through me, settling in my stomach. I felt very aware of how shabby I looked, and I pulled my gaze away from him, trying to flatten my messy hair.

"Yeah, well," Wood said, and I could tell from his tone of voice he felt uncomfortable. "You shouldn't have to leave; you were studying here before I came. I'd better go and leave you to it." He got up, and I wasn't quite sure if I was relieved he was leaving or sad that he didn't stay. Instead I chose to nod my head, not making eye contact. He picked up the newspaper, rolling it up and then pushed the chair back under the table. I pulled the star charts back towards me, and I pulled my quill and ink well from my bag. Wood began walking away, but stopped and turned around to face me.

"Well done by the way," he uttered, and I sent him a confused glance. "For the articles," he clarified. "They're really good."

"Thank you," I replied, smiling at his praise which for some reason I found very important to me. I blushed and quickly ducked my head down, focusing on my astronomy. It wasn't until I heard his footsteps completely leave the library that I looked up again, a grin on my face.

* * *

"The fucking bastards!" Oliver roared, stomping one stormy Thursday evening into the common room three days before the first Gryffindor Quidditch match. "The fucking weasels slimed their way out of it!"

"Hey mate, what's going on?" Ethan called out, tone placating, from the sofa where we were all thrown haphazardly over one another. We had only managed to commandeer one sofa for the evening, so I was lying on top of Tess and Abby while Jackie, Aiden and Ethan were all squished together. Wood marched his way over to us though he didn't sit down, and we all took in his extremely pissed off state.

"Slytherin has pulled out of the match on Saturday!" Wood gritted out, and we all raised our eyebrows at this, not quite believing him.

"What?" I screeched and then blushed, realising how banshee-like I probably sounded. "Why the hell would they do that?"

"Apparently Malfoy got hurt by a Hippogriff and now they won't play without their "star" Seeker! Fucking tosspots!" he thundered on, and I jumped up, much to the delight of a crushed Tess and Abby.

"They can't do that!" I cried out, infuriated.

"They have, Snape's allowed it and even McGonagall grudgingly had to accept it. She gave me quite a yelling when I snapped that they shouldn't be allowed to get away with that."

"Well, they can just find a bloody new Seeker for the game. You can't just change the line-up! Are they that afraid of losing to us?"

"Dunno," Wood replied, and the anger seemed to be abating. He let out a sigh and caught my gaze, his tone bitter. "Though I think it has more to do with the fact that it's going to storm heavily on Saturday that they pulled out. They've always been fucking wimps!"

"Too right they are!" I thundered, eyes blazing ferociously. "Well, we're just going to have to show them we're better than that. We'll show them what Gryffindor courage looks like!"

"You should be a cheerleader for the team, Margate," Wood commented, seeming to attempt to make a joke though it failed miserably. All those interested in Quidditch didn't feel like laughing, and those not interested had already tuned out the conversation.

"So who are we playing on Saturday if we're even playing?"

"Hufflepuff," Wood sighed, and I pondered on this. I was about to respond to this except Wood beat me to the punch. "I'd better go and re-plan those player and game strategies if we're going to be facing Hufflepuff. And with only three days away, it'll be a miracle if we pull this off!"

* * *

"Ah, this weather's so bad I can't see anything," Tess roared into the howling wind, but I could barely hear her. She sounded like she was a few miles away as opposed to crouching next to me under our large, battered umbrella. The wind gave a particularly violent lurch and shoved us sideward, Tess emitting a squeak as she clung tightly to my arm.

"What did you say?" I yelled back, trying to keep my hair from constantly being whipped in my face, but it was fruitless and instead I tried to hold onto Abby and Jackie next to me in an attempt to keep us straight.

"This weather's so bad I can't see anything!" Tess roared back, but the loud whistle of the wind and the pattering of the heavy rain onto the stands meant I was only able to hear a syllable or two.

"What?" I shouted out again, but Tess seemed to have given up, for she was shaking her head.

"Hold on!" Jackie yelled into the air, and with one hand, the other still grasping the handle of the umbrella, she ushered us in closer together. My shoulders kept bumping against those of Abby and Tess, and with a complicated wave of her wand a quiet rush of wind enveloped us. A moment later we could hear each other again.

"Thanks, sweetie," Tess exclaimed with a relieved sigh. I smiled as I realised that although the wind was still screeching loudly and the rain was hammering against the stands, I could at least hear my friends again.

"It's not much, but at least we can hear each other," Jackie spoke with a grimace. The wind gave a particularly violent tug at our umbrella, and Abby and I grabbed a hold of it too while Tess let out a shriek.

"This is ridiculous!" Tess shrilled as the wind tried to pull her away from us again. "I'm soaked to the bone, this wind is freaking me out, and I can't even see Cedric Diggory to drool over him!" She was right, especially the last part; we had lost sight of what exactly was happening above us over an hour ago and relied mainly on Lee Jordan's rather confused commentary for any information on how the game was going. At the start of the game we could at least make out the two teams from each other, but now that everyone, Quidditch uniforms included, were wet we couldn't even do that anymore.

"I'm going," Tess cried, irritated. She turned to Jackie and added, "Are you coming too?" Jackie nodded her head and handed the umbrella over to me. They wrapped their cloaks around themselves and began to make their way through the crowd.

Suddenly someone shouted out, "Look!" Another few let out a shriek and collectively hundreds of heads turned and gazed with horror on their faces towards the same spot high above us. Our heads swivelled to the spot and Tess let out a horrified cry, pulling Jackie back towards us. I vaguely noticed that both Tess and Abby had grabbed my hands, but my attention was riveted on the Dementors gliding easily through the air as if it were a calm summer's day. The stands seemed to have been enveloped in silence as everyone watched with shocked faces and even the wind seemed to have died down a little. Players were darting out of the way of Dementors, Dementors gliding after them like some sick game of cat and mouse.

My gaze found Wood--how I will never know--and through the silence I heard him yell out, face white with fear, "Harry!" The Snitch had been seen and two specks darted through the air, faster than light towards an unseen goal, and that's when it happened. At least a hundred Dementors had congregated beneath Harry Potter, and for some reason, one I will probably never understand, the boy couldn't handle it for he slumped forwards on his broom and seemed to sway in the air for a second before he pummelled downwards. He fell through the air like a rag doll, back arched, arms wide out, and I couldn't pull my eyes away from the terrifying spectacle. Tess clung to my arm, her face hidden in my shoulder, quiet whimpers coming from her, and Abby's vice-like grip on my arm alerted me to the fact that they too were frightened. Harry fell fifty feet, and it seemed at the last second the commanding voice of Professor Dumbledore yelled out some spell into the shocked silence that had captured the entire stands. The last thing I saw was Harry crashing to the ground before mayhem erupted in the stands, and I couldn't see the Quidditch field again.

* * *

"Tess, it's okay. They said he's fine," Jackie soothed her sobbing best friend who clung to her tightly, and Jackie hugged her tighter. We were all aimlessly standing around in the middle of the common room, still in our wet clothes, not quite sure what to do with ourselves. Once the fear that Harry Potter had died had abated with one Katie Bell telling the common room that, apart from numerous broken bones and a concussion, he was alive and fine. Ethan and Aiden came over to us, carrying extra blankets which Ethan handed out to Jackie, Tess and Abby, and Aiden put the last one over my shoulders. I sent him a grateful smile though it came out quite strained.

"Wow, that was bloody scary!" Ethan exclaimed emphatically, and Abby snorted at that.

"Yeah," I replied, pulling a face. "If Dumbledore hadn't cast that Cushioning Charm..." I trailed off, and Aiden put his arms around my shoulders, giving them a little shake.

"But he did, so there's no need to dwell on it!" Aiden replied, and I slowly nodded my head.

"Aiden's right; don't beat yourself up about what-ifs. Wood's probably doing enough of that anyway," Ethan muttered, words comforting.

"Where is Wood anyway?" Abby voiced what I had been afraid to ask.

"I don't know. He isn't in the Hospital Wing with the rest of the team. I heard one of the Weasley twins say he was trying to drown himself in the showers," Ethan replied, and we all took in this piece of information.

"He's going to be taking it the worst out of all of them," Abby said quietly.

"Yeah," we all replied heavily.

"We're gonna have to put him on suicide watch," Abby added, a twinkle in her eyes.

Ethan seemed to catch on to where Abby was going with this conversation for he added lightly, "We'll have to take turns watching him, and Chrissie gets first watch!"

"Ha, ha!" I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes. This seemed to calm Tess down for she stopped crying quietly and laughed. We all grinned for a few seconds, but a moment later the mood was gone, and we were all sombre and quiet again.

This made me think on the topic I had been pondering for the last two weeks on the fanaticism of Quidditch and its fans. Was this really the extent they could go to if things did not go their way? Though my friends and I joked about the thought that Wood would be suicidal in an attempt to lighten the tense situation, it did make me wonder if there wasn't a grain of truth to Abby's comment. Wood was certainly was fanatical about the sport; that had been established a long time ago, but would his obsession for Quidditch take him to such extreme lengths that he would consider life not worth living anymore? Right now, I really wasn't quite sure.

* * *

**A/N's (again): You see that little box below this with review on it? Go on, I know you want to!  
So yeah, please review and let me know what you thought!  
:)**


	5. Are Secrets the Best Policy?

**A/N's: This is the much belated fifth chapter. It's like four months old and I'm really sorry I didn't put it up earlier, but I completely forgot I never put it up on . Well enjoy, chapter six is halfway written and coming along nicely, now that the craziest few weeks are over. If it's not up before the start of Feb, then you might need to wait another month. Horribly busy at College, so sorry in advance.**

**I love you guys! **

**Agrolass**

_Chapter 5, Are Secrets The Best Policy?_

"Explain to me why it has to be me again?" I demanded testily, and Abby and Tess rolled their eyes.

"Because he's not going to listen to us," Tess said tersely, grabbing my hands. "Look before you retort about Wood apparently not listening to you anyway just listen. We're all worried about Oliver, and, despite your protests, you're the best qualified person of all of us to get him to leave that blasted office of his and come out of his depression. You heard what he was like when he visited Harry Potter in the Hospital Wing. Do whatever it takes to get him to come out; I don't care if you promise him sex or drag him out. It's not healthy for him!" Tess finally finished her tirade, and I nodded my head. She had a point; Wood had been blaming himself for Potter's accident for days, and his depression at losing the game and nearly getting his Seeker killed didn't seem to be going away.

"Fine," I conceded, and Tess gave a curt nod before smiling at me and dropping my hands.

"He's in the Captain's office in the Gryffindor team locker rooms; you know how to find it, right?" Abby asked.

"Yeah," I replied, deep in thought, thinking of the best way to get Wood to leave his sanctuary voluntarily. I could try dragging him out of there, but since he was so much bigger and stronger than me I didn't see myself succeeding that way.

"Oh, you might want to grab a cloak; it's raining outside. Unless you want to appear in front of Wood soaking wet. That would sure catch his attention!" Tess smirked, and I rolled my eyes at her comment.

"I doubt he would even notice a naked girl standing in front of him in there, what with him surrounded by all those player strategies!" I snorted and then added as I walked out of the common, Tess' cloak in my hand, "Later, girls!"

I made my way down to the Quidditch field, and ten minutes later I stepped into the Gryffindor team locker room, wet shoes squelching on the hard stone floor. I grimaced at the state of my Keds and made my way to where I assumed the Captain's office was located. The door was ajar, and I could see Wood sitting at his desk surrounded by a mountain-load of paperwork, head bent down in obvious concentration. I walked in and was surprised to see he didn't even look up.

"I knew they'd send you. Abby is far too easy to read," Wood commented as he briefly glanced up and went back to scribbling down notes.

I raised an eyebrow at that and replied, "It was actually Tess who sent me."

"Same thing, really. You can just tell them I'm coming up when I'm done and no sooner," Wood muttered. I sighed at his behaviour and moved some of the papers from his desk, jumping up so I sat on the edge of the table, feet dangling. I shuffled through the papers loudly, pausing to browse through them and occasionally ask Wood a banal question about something I had read.

"But seriously, why do you need to know the players' specific weight? I can't believe the Chasers told you. I wouldn't," I commented lightly, turning around so I was facing him.

"Merlin's beard, Margate!" Wood grumbled, standing up and walking around the desk until he was facing me. He sent me an irritated look and grabbed the sheets of paper out of my hands as I grinned up at him.

"They're needed to calculate dives, and what the hell are you doing, Margate?" Wood cried out, exasperated, for I had pulled the parchment he had been making notes on and began to make some changes.

"I think you should let Alicia do the Sloth Grip Roll with a Bludger in pursuit," I replied, finishing something what I wrote on the parchment before Wood yanked that out of my hands too.

"Margate, get out!" Wood sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

"No," I replied, grinning cheekily. "I'm not moving until you come back up to the castle with me."

"It's not gonna happen," Wood spoke, voice flat.

"Then I guess we're staying here," I chirped brightly, swinging my feet to and fro, a childish grin on my face. "Plus you can tell me all about why you won't let Alicia do a Sloth Grip Roll."

"She's not experienced enough, and I'm serious Margate. I want you out of my office."

"And I'm serious too. I'm not budging so spill," I gave him a look so he would see I wasn't joking.

"Margate!" Wood warned, and I sighed. The boy needed clarification for everything.

"Look, the guys have had enough of your sulking and depression and they want you to return to society!"

"And what about you?" Wood quirked an eyebrow up at me.

"They've got a point. You're even less fun this way, and I can't even argue with you anymore."

"I'm sure," Wood drawled, and I saw that he didn't believe me.

"Look," I said earnestly, leaning forward so he would look me in the eye. "You had no control over the Dementors. That's the point, and you couldn't have foreseen that Potter would react so negatively to their presence. It was all completely out of your control. Not everything is; you just deal and move on."

"Don't become a counsellor; you'd make a terrible one," the wry smile on Wood's face told me he was joking and that maybe some of what I said had gotten through.

I smiled and added, "You just can't admit that I'm right."

"Fat chance, Margate," Wood snorted. He leaned forward, a twinkle in his eye, and I grinned, seeing some of the old Wood back. "Now, I'm a busy man, and I've got plenty of work to do, so you can go on ahead."

"Wood, I'm not moving. I told you that," I gave him my most winning smile and saw him sigh and clench the bridge of his nose with his fingertips.

"You're not going to give up, are you?" his tone spoke volumes for it was filled with defeat.

"Nope!" I replied cheerily.

"Fine, I'm going," he said, hands in the air, and I grinned broadly at him. Wood shook his head at me, leaned over me to grab some notes and then walked to the door, opening it wide. "After you, Margate," he said, waving his hands gallantly at the door. I hopped off the table and made my way out of the door, Wood following closely. We gave each other a look when we reached the door leading outside and saw that the rain, which had been so much lighter when I arrived, was so heavy we could barely see. It didn't help that the heavy rain clouds were blocking out what little light remained of the day so that it seemed more like nine pm than six in the afternoon. We began the long walk back up to the castle in silence. I occasionally glanced over and saw that Wood's head was bent, a pensive expression on his face. It wasn't a good sign, I mused. He only wore that expression when he was feeling particularly low, and I realised what I had said to him earlier he still didn't quite believe. It worried me that he was still letting the match bug him. He needed a distraction, and most of all he needed someone to actually pull him out of his low mood. The girls were right in a way because the whole weird thing between Wood and I did make me the best qualified person to help him in this situation. He needed someone who made him see the positive in every negative situation, and I knew exactly how to do that. And I had the perfect idea on how to do that.

"Hey, this is just like November Rain," I commented to Wood, and he paused a moment to look at me, face scrunched up in confusion, though the effect was slightly ruined by the fat drops of rain running down his nose and cheeks.

"Margate, it's not November yet," he replied and began walking in silence again.

"No, you idiot. I meant the song November Rain. This situation is just like it," I said, rolling my eyes at him, though my tone was calm.

"This isn't some Muggle music thing like that bug band you were telling Ethan about?" Wood queried, turning his head to look at me, and I saw the befuddled expression on his face.

"They were The Beatles! But yes, this is some Muggle music thing. It's a song from a Muggle band called Guns N' Roses." Wood shook his head, no doubt to come up with some retort, but he closed his mouth when I began singing some of the lyrics.

"_Do you need some time...on your own, do you need some time...all alone_," I sang into the rain drenched air, arms held out wide. Wood had stopped walking and was staring strangely at me, as if he had realised for the first time how weird I was. Well, it was too late to back down now, and it was all done in the sake of making sure he was okay.

"_I know it's hard to keep an open heart, when even friends seem out to harm you. But if you could heal a broken heart, wouldn't time be out to charm you_," I sang aloud, arms still out wide, head bent upwards so that the splashes of rain fell onto my face. I could distantly hear Wood chuckling lightly, and I bent my head down again and looked at him, a grin on my face. "See, now if this was the Muggle music video there'd be a pan-out view from a helicopter above us of us doing an air guitar in the middle of the grounds in the rain," I went on, waving my arms in the air as I painted the scene for Wood's enjoyment.

"You never cease to amaze me, Margate," Wood quirked, tone filled with amusement as he tried to hold back another chuckle.

"_Everybody needs some time...on their own, don't you know you need some time...all alone_," I sang loudly and then launched into an air guitar in the middle of the sopping wet grounds, my feet up to my ankles deep in mud and wet grass, but I didn't care, and by the looks of a laughing Wood he didn't either.

"But that isn't the best part. Just when you thought the song was over, it would go into this manic reprise, guitars, drums and piano going crazy as Axel is half singing, half screaming the lyrics that no-one can understand," I explained away and then went into a bad rendition of what the end of the song might sound like as we walked the last few steps up to the castle and tumbled into the Entrance Hall, laughing to ourselves. When we saw the looks people were giving us I repressed the urge to laugh some more and schooled my features, though as I sideways glanced at Wood he seemed to be having as much trouble as I was.

"See, I managed to cheer you up," I spoke brightly, and he grinned at me, holding his side from the stitch he had gotten laughing at my silliness.

"That you did, Margate, that you did," he replied genially. "Remind me, to ask you to make a fool out of yourself again the next time I'm not feeling happy."

"Be glad, I didn't sing something sappy, like Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You," I retorted good naturedly, and even though he didn't know who Whitney Houston was or have any knowledge of the song the scared face he pulled told me he had gotten the gist of my joke.

"So tell me, is that one of the secrets you've not told people about?" Wood queried, tone teasing as we ascended the marble staircase.

"What, singing Muggle songs badly and doing air guitar?" I asked, turning to look at him.

"Yeah," he nodded, a smile on his face.

"Nah, it's not much of a secret; everyone already knows that!"

"So, what are your secrets?" he queried, cocking his head to one side as he looked at me, mouth curving slightly upwards on one side.

"You'll just have to find out," I replied teasingly.

***

I hate secrets. They are so exhausting to keep, they never stay secret for long, and people inevitably end up getting pissed off with you for keeping them and not being honest. Why do people keep secrets anyway if they know that sooner or later they are going to be found out? Are people really so afraid of telling the truth that they can't even suck up a little discomfort if it will spare them from the inevitable reckoning they receive later on? I hate it more that I keep them myself. I must sound so incredibly hypocritical standing here lecturing about secrets when I keep a few from my friends myself. But then maybe a better question to ask is why, despite my better judgement, do I keep secrets from my friends? My friends seem all too aware of the fact that there's a thing going on between Wood and I, and a few weeks ago I wouldn't have been lying if I said I couldn't stand him and that he pissed me off to no end. But now things have changed. I can't say the same things anymore because they aren't quite true. Well, apart from the fact that he can piss me off because he still manages to do that. Why can't I just be honest with them and say something that they've known for ages; yes I do like Oliver Wood, and I actually would like to be with him. The answer to that question is maybe I don't want to acknowledge what I feel for Wood openly, that by telling my friends I am leaving myself open to being hurt because I would be acknowledging what I feel.

All in all keeping secrets from those closest to you is very trying. I don't understand why I do it and why others do it too, but it's a fact. So, yeah, now I've got a choice to make. I could be a hypocritical cow and keep my secrets from those closest to me, or I could suck up all my courage and acknowledge what I feel in my heart.

Shit, I always hated being put in this situation.

***

Herbology on a Friday morning was one of those subjects that could really swing either way in terms of entertainment. It could either be terribly dull, mostly to do with the fact that it was far too early to be digging around in the soil and people were still half asleep, or it could be so much fun and end up in another clay ball fight. On this particular dreary Friday morning I was hoping for the latter to relieve my tedium. Since Professor Sprout didn't want to trust me to sit quietly next to Abby and Tess after the last dirt fight I was stationed on the other side of the greenhouse. Today, though, I was lucky, for the next best thing to my friends sat down next to me. One Oliver Wood, whose hair was still dishevelled from sleep and whose upper buttons on his un-tucked school shirt were also undone. I grinned broadly as a tired Wood flopped down next to me.

"Why, good morning, Mr. Wood!" I sang brightly, and he lifted a bleary eyebrow at me.

"You far too wide awake for this time in the morning. Hold on," he mumbled, straightening out my shoulder and leaning his back against it. "Now don't move; I'm going back to sleep."

I snorted and elbowed him lightly in the ribs. "Wake up, sunshine. We're in class; you need to be conscious for this part."

Wood groaned, and I chuckled at that. "Can't I blackmail you into taking notes so I can go back to sleep?" he queried, and I shook my head.

"You've got nothing on me; besides I'm not doing your work for you," I replied genially, rolling my eyes.

"Sure I do," Wood smirked, sitting up straight as he appraised me. "I know your secret!"

"You wouldn't dare!" I retorted, not falling for his tactics.

"Just watch me, Margate," Wood said confidently, rising from his seat. I watched him mouth open, not believing he would actually tell the class my secret.

Wood caught the attention of Professor Sprout and spoke out clearly, "Professor, can I just say something?"

"Wood, don't. I get it!" I hissed at him, pulling at his arm, but he pulled it out of my reach, still wearing an innocent smile. I turned beet red at the prospect of people knowing I was Calliope and continued hissing at Wood under my breath, but he ignored me.

"This is highly unorthodox, Mr. Wood," Sprout frowned. She gazed at Wood through the mass of tangled hair, and it looked like she was trying to decide whether Wood was messing or not.

"Go ahead, Mr. Wood, but make it quick," she consented. Wood grinned at me from the corner of his eye, and I knew I had to act now or face utter humiliation at having my secret revealed.

You see, in times like this, I sometimes wonder at my own mental capability, or as Abby always asks, do I even think in these situations. The answer to that is obviously no, for why else would I have gone and done what I done in Herbology. Stupid brain!

I jumped up on his back and clamped my hand over his mouth. The whole class turned around and watched us, some stifling back laughter, but I was still in panic mode so I couldn't feel Wood shaking slightly with laughter.

"Miss Margate, Mr. Wood, what is the meaning of this?" Sprout cried out, tone imperious and arms crossed across her chest.

Reality took this as an opportunity to hit me, and hit me hard it did. I turned red in the face as I realised everyone was watching us, and I took my hand from Wood's mouth and slid off his back. Wood was still shaking with silent laughter, and I sent a glare in his direction before turning my attention back to Sprout to see she was still waiting for an answer.

"Erm, I was trying to censor him?" I asked, voice hopeful.

"Well in future try doing it in a way that doesn't disrupt my class. Detention to you both!" I nodded my head, and we both sat down, more sombre.

"This is so your fault for pushing me!" I hissed, annoyed at him. "Anyway, whatever happened to you promising not to spill my secret?" My eyes bored sharply into the side of his head. Strangely enough he didn't take this as an opportunity to start arguing with me again.

Instead he turned his head to me and grinned before adding, "I was never gonna spill your secret in the first place." He turned his head back to face the front of the class and then added in an

undertone, still looking at Sprout. "It was so worth it seeing you try and shut me up, Margate!"

***

I was leisurely strolling down the second floor corridors in between classes before lunch, making my way to Defence Against The Dark Arts when Abby ran up to me and grabbed my arm, bringing me to a stop. I took a glance at her and saw that her forehead was creased with lines of worry.

I turned to her, tone filled with worry, "What's wrong, Abby?"

"I need to talk to you but not here," she replied and grabbed my hand, dragging me to the girls' toilets around the corner. She checked that it was empty and leaned against the sink while the door shut behind us.

"I've got something to tell you you're not going to like, and it's a secret," she confessed, eyes downcast.

"What's wrong, Abby?" I implored, grabbing her hands.

"Oh, it's nothing to do with me," she replied quickly and then added with great difficulty. "It's to do with Aiden, and it's a secret."

"What about Aiden? Whatever it is he's probably told me already so don't worry!" I consoled her.

"Chrissie, he fancies you!"

"What?" I cried, brows creased and not believing a word. "Come on, Abby, you got the wrong end of the stick there."

"I didn't; he told me," she replied sadly, holding my eyes, gaze pleading.

"No way! He's my best friend apart from you. I'd know if he fancied me!"

"I know you don't want to believe me because this screws up everything, but I'm not lying or joking. Even though he told me in confidence, I think you need to know. It's just, if you and Wood didn't have your thing it would still be okay, but this is killing him. I can see."

"Oh, dear, sweet Merlin!" I sighed, sliding down the wall that I was leaning against until I was crouching on the tiled floor. "And you're certain?" Abby nodded her head.

"Aiden and I tell each other everything. Surely he would have told me this?" I asked, but Abby didn't seem to have an answer for she shrugged her shoulders.

"Do you think I should tell him that I know?" I queried, looking up at her. Abby crouched down until she was eye-level with me and took my hands.

"I think if Aiden wanted you to know, he would have told you. Maybe I'm just reading too much into this, and he just has a harmless crush on you that's gonna be gone in a few weeks," Abby replied optimistically, and I nodded my head.

"Yeah. I mean if it was serious he would've told me, wouldn't he?" Abby nodded her head. "But what about Wood?" I was afraid to ask that question, but nevertheless I did.

"I don't think it's fair that you end it with Oliver just because Aiden fancies you. That and I don't think Aiden would want you not to be happy," she replied.

"Yeah," I sighed.

"I'm sorry for telling you. I should have just kept it to myself," Abby spoke, and her voice genuinely seemed to be filled with sorrow.

"No, I'm glad you told me," I said and squeezed her hand. "The whole situation isn't ideal, whether you would have told me or not."

"Come on, we'd better go out before they start wondering where we've gotten off to," Abby said, sounding much more optimistic and more like herself. She got up and pulled me up with her. We smiled at each other and without another word left the bathroom.

***

I darted past the crowds mingling in the corridors on a Tuesday afternoon, glancing at my watch as I sprinted past an obstinate group of fifth years who wouldn't move for me. It was already past five, and I was late for the study session I had with Karine. I panted as I reached the library and eyed the glaring librarian before making my way to the Arithmancy section that Karine loved sitting at only to see she was already there, as was someone else. I stopped, surprised to see Karine and Wood standing close to each other, apparently deep in conversation, though it appeared to be one-sided. Karine placed her hand on Wood's chest, and I didn't know what to make of it. Wood said something to her I couldn't make out, though the scowl on his face was very easy to understand, and he took a step back. Karine dropped her hand and at the same time both seemed to become aware that they weren't alone and looked over at me. Wood's expression became unreadable when he saw me and without another word he walked off in the other direction. Karine looked up at me, and for a moment I thought I saw hurt swimming in those emerald eyes, but a moment later her expression was clouded, and I wasn't quite sure if I saw it or imagined the whole thing.

"Karine, what's going on?" I inquired, holding my books close to my chest as I waited for her reply.

"Nothing for you to concern yourself with, Chrissie; after all we all keep our secrets, right?" she quipped sharply and brought a hand up to swipe something caught in her eye. She dropped her head, and I couldn't see her face because of the sheet of chocolate hair in the way, but a moment later her head was raised, and she smiled easily at me again.

"I'm sorry, Chrissie, but it's private." Her tone was much kinder than before, and I nodded my head.

"Are you okay?" I asked tentatively, slowly walking up to her.

"Of course I am; why wouldn't I be?" she said easily; her confidence had returned, and she looked like nothing had happened between her and Wood.

"Now you wanna get started on that Charms assignment?" she said, and I smiled as we made our way to our usual tables next to the window.

Later on, after the incident in the library, I got to thinking about the secrets friends keep from each other and a thought struck me. How much do we really know about our friends, whether they are close ones or even those people you are only acquainted with? Since the nature of humanity is to keep secrets, can we ever truly say we can know all there is to know about a person? If people keep secrets for a reason how can you ever be expected to really come close to them? Sure Karine and I could be friendly, but after what I saw today I see that she keeps secrets from me. It was fairly obvious. So the question is, can we still be friends even though she keeps secrets from me, secrets I know involve me? In instances such as this, where you are faced with the possibility that those close to you are keeping things from you, it all comes down to faith. The choice that remains is: do I trust that she will tell me eventually when the time is right or let her decide whether I need to know, or do I forgo a perfectly good friendship because one of the parties isn't being completely honest. That is the thing I hate about secrets; it inevitably boils down to a choice, and I hated being put in this situation.

***

"Tell me, guys, would you tell me a secret if it revolved around me?" I asked, quill tip in my mouth as I leaned my elbow on the table. Abby, Tess and Jackie stopped writing and looked up at me.

"How do you mean?" inquired Jackie.

"Would you keep secrets about me from me?" I clarified, and Abby frowned.

"Who's keeping things from you?" Abby queried, lips pursed.

"I think Karine is," I replied pensively. I dropped the quill back in the ink well and continued. "Yesterday when I went into the library to study with her and hang out she was talking to Wood, but when I asked her what it was about she told me it was private."

"You need to be a bit clearer for me," Tess quipped, and she gazed seriously at me from across the table.

"I think she was trying to get back together with Wood." My voice betrayed how worried I was that this was actually the case, and I wasn't imagining things. "I just don't understand why she would do that."

The girls glanced at each other, and then Abby sighed, "You don't know that. Did you ask her about it?"

"Yeah, and she denied it."

"Well then you probably just imagined it. As you said yourself you guys are friends and friends don't do that to each other," Abby added pragmatically, and Jackie nodded her head. Tess was being unusually silent on the topic. I gazed over at her, and she spoke.

"You know how I feel on the subject so there's no point in asking me."

"Right," I sighed, glancing down at my nails.

"But in saying that, we could be wrong, Chrissie. Anyway, even if she is trying to steal Oliver back it doesn't mean he wants her back. I don't think you need to worry about anything," Tess said, her words oddly filled with wisdom.

"Don't let it ruin your friendship with Karine, worrying over things that might not even be true," Jackie added, clasping my hands, sitting next to me.

"You're right," I said, tone much more confident. "I probably just imagined it."

***

"I never meant to cause you any sorrow; I never meant to cause you any pain," I sang quietly to myself in the large empty girls' dormitory. I twirled my fingers through the heavy red satin of my bed's curtains, letting the words of the song flow from the modified wireless on my bedside table through me. The silence of the room seemed to hang heavily in the air, the absence of the rest of the girls weighing to a great extent on my soul. I felt incredibly lonely yet unable to see anyone else at that moment. I just wanted to lie on my bed and listen to the Muggle songs on the radio station.

"I only wanted one time to see you laughing-" I stopped signing when I heard a loud knock on the oak door, and I sat up. "Come in," I added warily, one hand on the volume dial of the wireless. The sturdy oak door seemed to take forever to open, but when it did the tidy mop of chestnut hair and bright blue eyes of my male best friend, Aiden, popped through the crack of the door.

"Am I disturbing you?" he asked softly, hesitation evident in his voice.

"You can come in," I replied uneasily, sitting up straight on my bed and straightening out the Falmouth Falcons jersey I was wearing. I hated it that I felt so uncomfortable around Aiden now and without even wanting to my head dropped, my hair shielding me from view. "How did you get up here anyway?" It seemed my curiosity was stronger than my discomfort.

Aiden stepped fully into the room and held up an old broom I recognised as his. I nodded my head, understanding. He made his way into the room and sat down on the edge of my bed, letting the broom fall to the floor. The dull thud of wood falling on a hardwood floor was deafening. I pushed my hair behind my ear and played with my hands.

_Baby, I could never steal you from another; it's such a shame our friendship had to end_. The lyrics of Prince's song caught me for a moment, and with my head turned towards the wireless I let the lyrics go through me for a moment. It was eerie how correct the words were to the situation right now, and were it any other time I would laugh at the irony, but now I couldn't.

Ever since Abby had told me a few days ago of Aiden's secret I just couldn't act the same around him anymore. Every act and word spoken by him was over-analysed to the extent that I began to see hidden messages in everything, even the new quill he gave me in Defence Against The Dark Arts. Apart from fearing I was going insane or senile, it didn't help my friendship with Aiden; he must have realised something by now. Why else would he be here? We always hung out, but I couldn't even do that anymore and I hated it.

_I only wanted to see you underneath the purple rain_- I couldn't take it any more with the song and deftly switched off the wireless, only to plunge us into an obvious and eerie silence.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on, Chrissie?" Aiden asked, breaking the silence. I looked up into his cerulean eyes. They always were so piercing, and even though I couldn't find a word to reply with, I couldn't pull my eyes off him.

"Fine," he sighed, getting up off the bed and picking up his broom. He began to make his way to the door, but stopped and turned to face me. "You might not want to shut me out any longer if you don't want our friendship to do down the drain, Chrissie." Though the words spoken were meant to be emotionless, I could feel the undercurrent of hurt in them. I dropped my head, hating my inability to be honest with him. The door closed quietly behind him and the only sensible thought that went through my head was how I missed him.

I hated what secrets had done to my friendship with Aiden. I didn't hold it against Abby for one second that she told me; she believed she was doing the best, and I couldn't fault her with it. What I could be angry with was fate and life for dealing me such shitty cards. I felt incredibly guilty, yet at the same time I was too cowardly to do anything about it. Was I really such a cowardly person that I couldn't even confront my best friend about something that could essentially tear our friendship apart? What made the whole situation worse was my budding relationship with Wood. If I really didn't want to hurt Aiden I would drop whatever was happening between Wood and I for his sake, but I was too selfish. I wanted to have the cake and eat it; I wanted my best friend and Wood, but I couldn't have both. And something was going to give. It was just a matter of which secret would win out first. The secret of Aiden's growing feelings for me or the secret that I wanted so much more from Wood and me than I ever let on to my friends. So what is it gonna be?

***

I really don't know how I always get myself into these situations! I mean as a reasonably sensible and competent seventeen year old I should have more sense than to end up in my current predicament, at the 7C Halloween party to top it off. That place you ask: Wood's lap on a sofa in the corner of the Come-And-Go Room. I mean it wasn't as if I wasn't trying to rectify the situation, but the fact that Wood's arms were encircled around my waist trapping me was a bit of a hindrance. I was mortified by the situation; what would people think, yet a larger part of me wanted to say screw them all and enjoy the closeness of one Oliver Wood. But for appearance's sake I continued to make a fuss.

"Wood, you have to let me go; people are watching," I pleaded, turning my face to his, but when I realised how close I was to his lips I spun my head around again and tried to take in the scene before me.

"Relax, Margate, no-one's watching, and I'm sure the people here have all seen worse," he chuckled, purposefully teasing me.

"Well that still doesn't explain why I'm sitting on your lap when there's perfectly good space next to you!" I insisted, turning to face him again, a determined expression on my face.

"Well I don't want you to move so tough shit, Margate." Wood was teasing me again and even though I still felt completely self-conscious a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

"Fine," I replied and then started squirming in an effort to free myself from Wood's grasp, but he held on tightly.

"Merlin, Margate, stop!" Wood panted, a feral expression on his face, and I stopped, worrying for a second I had injured him.

"Did I hurt you?" I inquired, tone filled with worry.

"Not exactly," he bit out, eyes closed. He took a second and opened them again, adding, "Though you might not want to grind against me like that."

I shot him a confused look and then a moment later it dawned on me what he meant, and I went beet red.

"It's alright, Margate," he grinned. "I'm used to girls throwing themselves at me and doing everything they can to succeed."

"Oh, you cheeky bugger!" I cried. I then spun around as much as he would let me and, using my free hands, I launched for his sides, tickling him with all I had.

"You little vixen!" he gasped, clamping my arms down with his arm and using the second one to turn my face around so I was looking at him. His eyes were smouldering, and my breath caught in my throat. Yep, I had a knack for getting myself into these types of situations and then he did something I didn't expect. He kissed me. I'm not talking the innocent type or even the unsure ones; he kissed, nay, snogged me fully to such an extent I grew dizzy. I naturally gave in and kissed him back eagerly, meeting his lips with mine. His free hand slid along my jaw line, an act I'd never found sexy before, but by Merlin was it hot when done by Wood! His rough stroked my cheek before resting on the back of my neck, but all I could think about was the intoxicating kiss, as bad as it sounds how good of a kisser he was. It was as passionate as he was, and I was quickly becoming hooked. My mind reeled at his light touches and firm kisses, and I became slightly worried that I might grow lost in his kiss, but then his other arm let go of my arms and wrapped them around my waist, and I knew I was a goner. The kiss grew hot and every inch of my skin he touched was ablaze and yearning for his caresses. I craved more and, emboldened, I turned myself around on his lap so that I was straddling him. If Wood seemed surprised he didn't let on; he just drew me closer, one hand on the small of my back, the other still holding onto my neck as if I would pull away. I had absolutely no intention of doing that and just to prove it and show Wood I too could have the upper hand, I broke from the kiss and kissed a trail down his jaw line, enjoying the power I held over him at that moment.

"Hey, Oliver, mate," a male voice called, out and I immediately stopped kissing Wood's jaw and turned around, face glowing with embarrassment. Wood looked up and seemed to recognise the boy I only knew to see, a seventh year Hufflepuff who I considered one of Wood's group of hangers-on. Ethan stood next to him, a beer in one hand and wearing the biggest smirk I had ever seen. I was mortified, and what's worse I was caught by the lads snogging Wood in what could only be considered a compromising situation. Shit, I knew I shouldn't have worn a dress today! To top it all off, Wood was loving it.

"Oh hey, Chrissie, didn't see you there," Ethan quipped, still grinning like a Cheshire cat, and I would have glared at him for the remark if I wasn't still so incredibly discomposed.

"Hey, Ethan," I replied meekly and then quickly got off Wood's lap and straightened out my dress. I eyed the two lads for a second and then quickly blurted out, "Well I gotta go...do stuff...erm, find the girls. Bye!" I got up and dashed away from the lads as quick as my legs would allow me, and I could have sworn I heard the distinct chuckle of Wood following me.

I quickly found Abby and Jackie on a sofa on the other side of the room, sipping from their Butterbeers and wearing ear splitting grins. They motioned me over, both smirking broadly, and waited until I sat down next to them before they began the volley of questions that consisted of:

"Oh, my!"

"Well?"

"Are you two together now?"

"You sat on his lap?"

"Is he a good kisser?" Both Abby's and my own eyebrows shot up and gave Jackie a questioning glance.

"What?" she replied, looking puzzled. "Tess always asks that question!"

"Speaking of which, where is the girl?" Abby queried, and three sets of eyes scanned the room until we spotted Tess, but she was already coming over to us.

She sat down in a flourish wearing a broad grin and exclaimed, "You'll never believe what I overheard!"

"You'll never believe what happened to Chrissie!" Abby counteracted, grin equally broad.

"What?" she asked, now very curious.

"You go first," I spoke, and Tess gazed perplexed at me for another moment and then shook her head.

"Well I just overheard the Ravenclaw boys talking about you," Tess began, and three sets of astonished eyebrows rose at this piece of news. "Anyway, that's not the best part. Roger Davies said to his mates that he thought you were damn sexy!"

"Roger Davies?" I inquired, not quite believing her.

Tess grabbed my hand, her expression manic. "As in Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, seventh year and all around popular guy. Oh Merlin, Chrissie, how can you not be excited about this? He's so hot!" Tess squealed, jumping up and down where she sat, her vice-like grip on my wrist not wavering in the slightest.

"You've had one hell of a lucky night!" Abby exclaimed. She then turned to Tess and proclaimed grinning, "Well that's cool, but our news is way better. Chrissie's just come back from snogging the life out of Oliver." The expression on Tess' face was priceless, and I grinned.

"That is so...Wow!" Tess spluttered. "I really miss all the good stuff!"

"Yeah, you should have seen them; we're talking like rabbits!" Abby snickered, and I let out an indignant 'hey', but there was a grin on my face.

"What's this about rabbit, I hear?" the curious tone of Wood as he came up behind me, standing very close. I straightened up my posture, a blush creeping up my neck.

"Hi, Oliver!" the three girls chorused, grinning broadly, and I groaned. It seemed subtlety really wasn't their forte.

"Did anyone ever tell you eavesdropping in on other people's conversations is considered rude?" I told him, turning my head around to look at him. Wood grinned devilishly at me, and I tried my hardest to suppress a grin as he leaned in closer to me and whispered in my ear.

"I know you're just saying that to cover up for the fact you want to get back to what we were doing earlier," he winked at me, and my ears were ablaze at the comment. He sat down on the arm of the sofa right next to me, and his arm snaked its way around my waist, drawing me up flush against him. I started feeling very hot all of a sudden.

He directed his next remark at the girls and spoke easily, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal Margate away to have my wicked way with her. Later, ladies." Abby rose an eyebrow, Tess stifled back a giggle, and Jackie smiled amusedly at me. I rolled my eyes, directing them at Wood though I let myself be led away by him, his delicate touch on my waist guiding me along. _By Merlin, is Wood cocky and sure of himself_, I thought, and was it anybody else I would not be going along with it, but everything done by Wood was smooth, easy and so incredibly sexy!

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Oh, very far away from people; you know, so you won't run away from me again," Wood spoke huskily into my ear, and I felt shivers run down my spine.

"Well I'm not leaving the room. I don't want to be seen as easy," I replied stubbornly, chin held high as confirmation.

"No-one would ever suppose otherwise, Margate," Wood chuckled, his laugh reverberating through me from his closeness. "I guess we'll just have to settle for some dark corner. How do you feel about casual sex?"

"Mr. Wood!" I implored. "I am not that kind of girl! And there will be no dark corners for you, mister, if that's your intention!" I jabbed him in the chest, and as hard as I tried to be serious, he saw right through me and smiled easily.

"Shame," Wood sighed. "I guess I'll have to do it the old fashioned way."

"You're looking at ten dates at least. Be prepared to fork out a lot of galleons," I replied, tone teasing.

"Now I'm sure we can haggle on that offer," Wood purred, stopping me from walking any further by placing his second arm around my waist and pulling me flush up against him.

"Well good luck with that; I'm a tough negotiator," I said, though my tone came out quite breathy from his proximity, and I internally cursed my hormones for making me act so giddy. I smiled a broad smile at Wood as he looked down from his height, eyes dark and smouldering, mouth curved upwards in a playful smirk that belied his desire- a desire that was directed at me. It was incredibly sexy to think this guy was itching for me, and it made me grin even wider.

"Let's just stop the innuendos right here and now, Margate," he spoke huskily, lips inches away from mine. I was completely hooked. "You're incredibly sexy, and I want you just like you want me. Can we just drop the bullshit and go after what we both want?" At that moment I would have given him anything he asked for; I was dying for him to kiss me, and even though I was pulled right up against his chest it didn't seem enough. My mouth had gone dry and my heart was hammering a thousand beats a minute, and all my thoughts were centred on if he didn't kiss me very soon, I would do it! Unfortunately I never got my wish for the worst possible voice came and interrupted our trance.

"Hi, Chrissie. Oliver!" Karine spoke brightly, and for a second I didn't register that someone else was there, but Wood did. His eyes clouded over ,and he stepped back, letting go of me in the process. My own gaze showed the confusion until my senses told me we weren't alone and my eyes found Karine.

"Karine, hi," I said, a little unsure. I realised how close I still was to Wood, so I stepped back and turned to face my friend. "What's up?"

"Oh I just saw the both of you and I thought I'd come over and talk. So are you two guys going out now?" she asked, tone eager.

"Erm," I trailed away, not quite sure how to answer that question. My glance quickly went to Wood only to see a dark scowl on his features, something that took me quite by surprise. He folded his arms across his chest, and if I didn't know better I'd say he was glaring at Karine. Not understanding and feeling someone should lighten the mood, I turned back to Karine again.

"Tell me, how did you do in your Potions exam. Did you get that question right?"

"Oh I did," Karine beamed and then added, "My cat Midnight got her kittens finally. My mum owled me last night. It's two boys and two girls."

"Oh how cute!" I cried, smiling broadly. Karine, equally thrilled, nodded her head in agreement. We were interrupted by Wood walking away from us, arms still crossed and looking distinctly pissed off. He never even said where he was going to me or anything, and I stood for a moment, mouth open in confusion, the earlier conversation with Karine forgotten as I stared at Wood's retreating back, trying to figure out why he was mad. I closed my mouth and decided I would deal with him later so, pulling on the biggest smile I could, I turned back to Karine and continued our conversation. But I needed to know if there was any truth to my fears over Karine wanting to get back together with Wood, and so I plucked up the courage and asked her.

"Hey, Karine," I began, feeling distinctly uncomfortable, and I paused for a moment, thinking maybe just to drop it, but then I would never know and I would keep on worrying. So instead I took a deep breath and continued, "You and Wood seem to be talking a lot again. Call me crazy; I don't think you did so much before, and well, I don't know. Is there something I should know about?" I dropped my head, wishing I didn't have to have this conversation.

"Oh, Chrissie!" Karine said emphatically, touching my arm to reassure me. "You think I'm trying to take Oliver away from you?" And I suddenly felt so silly for suggesting it. "I know you like Oliver so you really don't have to worry about me. Oliver and I just have some things to work out; it has nothing to do with you. I would never steal him away from you; you're my friend."

"I feel so stupid for suggesting it!" I replied, tone deprecating. "You don't hold it against me for worrying?" I asked, a little unsure.

"No, we're friends!" she said with feeling.

"Yeah, we're friends," I replied, reassured, and beamed at her.

***

Karine had left, and I was on my own again so I decided to go off in search of Wood and see what his problem was earlier on. I found him with a beer, leaning against the wall talking quietly to Abby and Ethan. I approached them with a smile, and I turned to Wood only to see he didn't even look at me. Even though his head wasn't turned in my direction I could feel the tension emanating from him. I sighed, this was going to be harder than I thought.

"Wood, can I talk to you?" I asked, tone soft, and I touched his arm as he didn't seem to respond to my voice. At my touch his head snapped up, expression unreadable. "Wood?" I tried again cautiously, and he nodded his head to show he had heard me and began walking away. Ethan and Abby sent me confused glances, and I sighed, following Wood away from our friends. Wood made his way to the door and pulled it open, waiting for me to follow.

Once we were outside in the much colder corridor I glanced at my watch and remarked, "Wood, it's after nine; if we get caught in the corridors, we're gonna get in trouble."

"This won't take long, and I'm not in the mood to be interrupted," Wood replied, and I noticed his tone was cold. I took a step back from him, knowing this wasn't going to be good. "What the hell are you doing with Karine Bakshi?"

"What?" I asked, completely baffled. "We're friends."

"Do you even have a clue what she's like?" he counteracted, and my eyebrows shot up.

"Oh, Merlin," I sighed, dropping my gaze for a second before bringing it back up to Wood. "She warned me about this, that you'd go all weird because she's your ex."

"Oh did she now?" Wood's voice was harsh. "Well since you and the girls seem to love gossiping so much I'm sure you're well aware of what she can do."

"Hey!" I cried out, offended at his insinuation. "Just because you went out with her and it ended badly doesn't mean no-one else can be friends with her!"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Margate, how can you not comprehend this? She's bad news, and if you were smart you'd listen to me!" Wood cried frustrated and furious. "You are so blind sometimes!"

"Now listen up, Wood!" I hissed. "Just because you and I are seeing each other, doesn't mean you have the right to tell me who I can be friends with or not, mister!" I took a step forward and jabbed him in the chest with my index finger.

"That's something you and I also need to talk about," Wood said, devoid of all emotion. "I don't want you getting away ideas about us, thinking we're a couple or something." I just gaped at Wood, not believing he had actually the nerve to say that to me. I was annoyed; in fact I was more than annoyed. I was bloody livid.

"Are you serious, Wood?" I spluttered, mouth agape. "You have been the one chasing me for the last two months and taking great pleasure in it, and what, now you want to try and tell me you were chasing me for the fun of it?"

"Look I just don't want you getting any ideas," he replied, and he at least had the decency to look like he regretted formulating the words the way he did.

"The only ideas I have are the ones you gave me!" I raged. "You just wanted your fun and at the first glance that things might actually be serious you bolt! I can't believe I thought you were different. You're just like all the rest." My voice, which had been very loud, dropped with the hurt and disappointment I felt towards Wood.

"You may be pissed off with me, Margate, but I didn't want to lead you on." He looked down at me, catching my eyes, but I just glared at him and pulled my gaze away. I heard him sigh and walk away, opening the door to the party and walking through but not before he took one last glance at me. Only when the door shut behind him did I let out the shaky breath I held and brought my hands up to my face. But it would not do to cry over Wood in the middle of the corridor where I could be caught by other party-goers, or worse Filch and the Professors. I pushed back the tears that were already welling behind my eyes and stared at the place where the door was.

Do I go back in and be in the same room as Wood who had just dropped me so unceremoniously, or do I got back to the common room? I began walking; there really wasn't even a choice in the decision, and I let my feet carry me back to the Gryffindor Tower.

***

Back in the common room I found Aiden sitting alone on one of the sofas, staring into the fireplace. The place was practically empty of students, most having gone to bed, and I tried to sneak back up to the girls' dormitory before he spotted me.

But his azure eyes caught me and called out, "You're back early. What's wrong?"

"You're far too perceptive, Aiden," I replied tiredly, standing on the spot, glancing down at my clasped hands.

"Come and sit down," he persisted, and I once again wished Abby hadn't told me about Aiden fancying me, for if I didn't know I would have no problems sitting down next to him and letting him cheer me up, but now I couldn't do it anymore.

"Chrissie?" he called out, voice full of concern. I mutely nodded my head and sat down next to him on the sofa. He draped his arm over my shoulder and the simple act of kindness was all I needed to break down any remaining barriers. I dropped my head on his shoulder and let the tears fall.

"Everything is so fucked up now," I mumbled into his shoulder, tears soaking a patch on his olive t-shirt.

I decided at that moment that I had enough with secrets and keeping them. I was sick of having to hide secrets from my friends, I was sick of people feeling they are necessary, and I was sick of being the object of these secrets. All that they had done is ruin whatever I had with Wood, caused me to degrade the friendship I had with Aiden and question everyone's intentions. It wasn't who I was, and it was about high time I started being honest. That's the thing with secrets; no matter how you may paint them or yourself for keeping them all they really are is lies, and I didn't want to lie anymore.

I lifted my head off Aiden's shoulder and said, "Aiden, Abby told me you fancy me, and I'm ruining things because I'm afraid that I'll hurt you, and I don't wanna be seen as someone who takes advantage of her friend's feelings. What's worse I was parading around about me and Wood, and now he's gone all cold feet on me, and not only have I lost the guy I really liked, but because of him I may be losing a best friend too!"

Aiden looked at me, and I saw my pain and sorrow reflected in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Aiden. I didn't want to accept it, and I pushed you away because it was easier to deal with."

"Shh, sweetheart. It's gonna be okay, and you're not gonna lose me," Aiden soothed, speaking words of comfort, but they couldn't console me. They just made me feel worse because you couldn't argue away how screwed up things were, because I was crying into the arms of a guy who fancied me over another guy, Haland no matter how you twisted that someone was gonna get hurt.

***

The Halloween feast at Hogwarts was amazing as always, but I couldn't appreciate it. Though the feast was delicious and Tess and Abby stuffed themselves with pudding and pumpkin pie, I could barely finish my first portion and even the show put on by the ghosts did nothing more than amuse me briefly. I was a pathetic lump and the reason, you may ask? Well he was sitting three seats up from me among the boys. I hadn't talked to him since the 7C Halloween party, and if I could go through the rest of my time at Hogwarts without speaking another word to him I would be perfectly content. It didn't alleviate the deep feeling of embarrassment I felt over the whole ordeal though. It had been a while since someone had so completely shamed me like that, making me feel completely powerless and two feet tall, and despite how often it may have happened before it was still a hard pill to stomach. The self doubt, the constant questioning of one's actions and worry that something might be seriously wrong with you was becoming quite unbearable. And to top it all off, it had only been a day, twenty four hours and Merlin knows how many minutes and seconds. How was I meant to survive the rest of the year if after only one day I had been reduced to someone so pitiable who couldn't even smile or enjoy her friends' company and a magnificent feast without falling into the deep pit in her own little world?

"I should have just stayed in the common room," I muttered quietly as the four of us walked out of the Great Hall, surrounded by Gryffindors and fellow students making their way back to their respective Houses.

"What and mope there on your own the whole time?" Abby queried in a surprised tone. She sighed and wrapped her arm around my shoulder. "I personally wouldn't have enjoyed going to your funeral. You know how I feel about wearing the colour black!" Tess suppressed a giggle at that.

"Guys, I'm not suicidal!" I implored, slightly affronted they would think me capable of that just because of a boy.

"Sure you are," Abby replied, her tone speaking volumes that she didn't believe me.

"Seriously!"

"Give it up, Chrissie; we're never going to believe you," Jackie smirked, and I rolled my eyes at my friends.

"I'm gonna kill Oliver Wood!" Tess stated simply, in a sublime voice that one might use to predict that glorious sunshine would be the order of the next day as opposed to uttering such harsh words. I raised an eyebrow at her, and what surprised me is I didn't see her angry as she spoke those words. She instead looked determined. She glanced at me and then added, "I had a feeling he would mess with you, and I warned him not to so now he's gonna have to reap the consequences."

"Tess, you don't have to," I exclaimed, reaching an arm out to comfort her.

"No, Chrissie, you don't understand. I know you don't want us to get involved, but you're one of my closest friends; hell you might as well be family, and he needs to learn you don't mess with my family. And I'm not the only one who thinks like this. I betcha Abby and Jackie agree with me." I glanced at Abby and Jackie to see they were nodding their heads. Another eyebrow joined the one already raised at that comment. I was surprised and more than touched.

"Guys," I started, trying to think of the words appropriate enough to tell them how I felt at their loyalty and kindness.

"We know, Chrissie, and we love you too," Abby replied, taking the words right out of my mouth. She gave me a proper hug, and I returned the hug, smiling for the first time that day. She let me go, and when she saw the smile on my face she grinned in reply and took my arm, leading me on.

"Now how about we do a girl's night in for a change? No boys. We could pull out the reserves of chocolate we have, lock ourselves in the girls dormitory, pull out the cheesy romance novels and listen to some of your Muggle music," Abby said, her eyes lighting up in a way that they only did when she was planning something big.

"I think that would be so much fun!" Tess gushed, grabbing my other arm again and skipping down the corridor.

"I could introduce you guys to Queen. They have got to be the best pop rock band ever to have emerged out of the seventies and eighties," I added, liking the sound of this plan. The smile turned into a big grin as I rambled on. "We could do an eighties pop music night! Something like Belinda Carlisle and Pat Benetar."

"Oh dear God, Abby, what have you got Chrissie started on?" Jackie joked, walking ahead of us.

"_We are strong, heartache to heartache we stand. No promises no demands, love is a battlefield_," I sang loudly and collectively three sets of groans could be heard, but I sang on. We rounded the last corner and came to an abrupt halt when we saw what looked like the entire House standing outside the portrait door. I stopped singing and glanced inquisitively at Abby and then Jackie, but they shrugged their shoulders to say they didn't know either. Tess grabbed my hand, and we began to squeeze our way through the crowd until we were almost at the front. The boys, Aiden, Ethan and Wood, appeared next to us, and Tess immediately turned to them.

"Do you know what's going on here?" she inquired curiously.

"Not a clue," Ethan replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"I wonder why we can't get in. Did something happen to the Fat Lady?" Aiden queried, and being the tallest of the three, he straightened up as much as he could and peered over the heads of the surrounding students.

"I can't see the Fat Lady at all, and why does the portrait look like it was slashed?" he commented, and we all glanced at him with confused expressions.

"What?" Abby and I pronounced at the same time.

"Hold on a minute. I'm going to find out what's wrong here," Wood spoke briskly, and my eyes momentarily went to him. It was so like him to take charge, whether that was because he was Quidditch captain and thus used to it or because it was a part of his personality, I didn't know, but I suspected a bit of both. He reappeared a moment later, a dark expression on his face, and despite how humiliated I still felt over what Wood said to me the night before, my attention was on him.

"The Fat Lady's gone, and what I can make out, something really did a number on the portrait. This doesn't look good," he said darkly. We didn't have a chance to respond to Wood's remark, for at that moment we heard the dulcet tones of our Head Boy, Percy Weasley, as he squeezed his way through the throng.

"What's the hold-up here? You can't have all forgotten the password – excuse me, I'm Head Boy-"

And then a silence fell upon the crowd, so eerie Abby and I grabbed each others' hands and squeezed them. It wasn't like Percy to be silent when so many people were around for him to boss around and show how superior he was.

"Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick!" Percy exclaimed sharply. A moment later the Headmaster himself appeared, and we turned around to watch him, the crowd parting to let him through, and that was the first time we saw the extent of the damage done to the portrait. Scraps of canvas were littering the stone floor beneath, and I heard the crowd collectively gasp. Other professors appeared, and I barely registered the presence of Peeves, but what he said was enough to pull me back to reality as he proclaimed to the stunned and silent crowd that the perpetrator was none other than Sirius Black. There was a stunned, silent moment in which everyone took in the news, and then slowly, like water trickling out of a tap, the two words were repeated over and over, growing louder with every breath, and that's when pandemonium broke out.

***

That night we slept in the Great Hall in squishy, purple sleeping bags. The Headmaster and Professors declared it would be too dangerous to let us return to the Gryffindor common room, and since Black still hadn't been found, the rest of the three Houses would be brought down to join us. What had started as a mass of a thousand confused students gradually settled down into some bizarre sleep-over in which the whole school was involved. Thankfully though, most of the students weren't panicking, and even the short glimpse of Harry Potter I got showed that, as the object of Black's return, he wasn't freaking out. The Houses had broken up a little and friends from different Houses were sleeping together in large groups, and my own group included my friend Nathan. My editor Amelia was only five sleeping bags away from me. Unfortunately, Wood was also in my group, but he was studiously ignoring me so I could only return the compliment. It was the closest I had been to him since the party, and it bugged me. Even after the lights went out and the Prefects and the Heads patrolled the Great Hall, my attention was still focussed on the Scot lying diagonally across from me, his back turned. He was muttering quietly to Ethan lying next to him, and I sighed quietly, turning around to glimpse at Abby next to me. She had been very tired even at the Halloween Feast and had already fallen asleep. Tess and Jackie were whispering quietly to themselves on the other side of me, but I didn't feel very sociable at that moment. I sighed and lay on my back, watching the starry sky above our heads. There were few clouds in the sky that night so the Milky Way was even more spectacular than usual. I became entranced in the faraway galaxies and suns, eyes brightening at the sign of a rogue shooting star or comet. It was surprisingly peaceful despite the quiet hum of distant chatter from the thousand odd students, but I didn't mind it.

My thoughts drifted to Wood again as they always seem to do lately. Had I ruined everything by being too secretive about my feelings, or was it because I had been too open? I really didn't know anymore, and it killed me. It hurt even more because I didn't know what I had done wrong, or if it had been me in the first place. These types of secrets, where it's not a matter of people keeping information from you but real feelings that are the worst. It's one thing not telling someone something you heard or know; it's quite another when the secret itself is feelings held for another. How could you honestly trust anything the other person said if you can't even trust that they are being honest with you on how they view you? How was I meant to learn from my mistakes if I would never be told what I had done wrong? I came to a decision at that moment. I would not let secrets rule my life, and if I couldn't know all the secrets there are about me then I didn't want to know. Because at the end of the day, it was my quest for these secrets that probably got me into this situation in the first place. If Wood was never going to be completely honest with me then he held nothing for me. I didn't want to know the truth anymore, and with this resolution, I silently crept out of my sleeping bag, and keeping low I snuck my way over to Amelia a few sleeping bags away from me.

"Amelia," I hissed quietly, gripping her arm. She let out a surprised gasp and rolled around to face me even though I could barely see her in the moonlight.

"Chrissie, what are you doing here?" she replied groggily. "It's really late."

"I know, but I want to change my article that I gave you. I think it needs a new ending," I replied quietly, lying down on the ground next to her so Percy or the Prefects wouldn't spot me.

"What, now?" she asked confused. She rubbed her eyes and added, "What's this about?"

"I don't like the ending. Please can I just change it?" I pleaded with her. I really didn't want to go into the reasons why with her now; I just hoped she would give me this opportunity.

"Alright. I need to change around the layout and write a new front page article after this whole Sirius Black thing," she relented, and I smiled at her in the darkness, which she probably wouldn't see anyway.

"Thank you, Amelia," I sighed. "You'll have it by tomorrow daytime in time for the print for Monday."

"No problem, Chrissie. Any reason why you need to change a perfectly good article?"

"I just need to send out a message with it," I replied, and Amelia nodded her head, obviously perplexed. I left her and snuck back to my sleeping bag, feeling a lot better.

***

That Monday morning the new edition of Hogwarts News came out, with it my article and the decision I'd reached Saturday night to put all this behind me and move on. Wood might never get the change in the article or in me, but it didn't matter anyway. I was ready to move on.

_**Calliope's Guide To Hogwarts**_

_Are Secrets The Best Policy?_

_Everyone has their secrets. It doesn't matter if you're young or old, male or female; no-one is exempt from the rule. Though a person may argue that they don't keep secrets from certain people like friends, family and the other half, I don't believe that's true. You can't be completely honest with a person. Either your fear that they'll judge you or just a desire to keep some things private, inevitably it means you end up lying to yourself and this person by intention or subconsciously. To keep a relationship afloat, whether it is a sexual or a platonic one, there are some things you can't tell the other person. For example, I couldn't tell a boyfriend I found another guy hot, just like I couldn't tell a female friend her favourite dress made her look quite fat. So taking it as fact that keeping secrets are necessary in some situations, to what extent are those very secrets we keep to protect either ourselves or the other person too much and become a hindrance? Everyone keeps secrets, and the ones that have been troubling me mostly are the emotional secrets that people don't reveal. The thing with emotional secrets is that they in a way are so much more dangerous than your standard ones, for it's not just about getting yourself or others in trouble anymore. Emotional secrets protect our hearts, and by laying those out in the open we are leaving ourselves all the more vulnerable. Do we really want to know these secrets people keep, or in matters such as emotional secrets, is it not better to follow the philosophy 'ignorance is bliss'?_

_We are living in dark times. This is a fact, as the months weave on and the dangerous mass murderer Sirius Black still hasn't been apprehended. This is despite the fact that even after numerous sightings of him drawing ever closer to Hogwarts, according to the Daily Prophet, the threat is becoming ever closer. Secrets seem to be the primary tool to combat this terror, and as the times grow grimmer, people are keeping their emotional secrets closer to their hearts. As rumours abound on the reason Black has escaped, all seem to be focusing on Harry Potter as the explanation. I wonder about the secrets being kept from that thirteen year old kid and what he must go through knowing that not only are so many people talking about him, but keeping things from him too. Would he want to know all the secrets that surround him, even though it may hurt him more to know it than it would being ignorant? Things will certainly have changed in the light of Sirius Black breaking into the castle and slashing the portrait guarding the Gryffindor common room. I certainly don't envy him in the slightest for what he not only has to go through here at school but also as the boy who brought down You-Know-Who. But as I said, in light of Black breaking into the castle and desperately trying to get into the Gryffindor common room, would this not be a perfect time to question any thoughts one might have had that ignorance is better than knowing the truth? If I were Harry and didn't want to know secrets before, now I certainly would. Maybe we all need to re-evaluate our decisions to keep certain secrets in the wake of events that happen in our life. _

_But what happens when those secrets we keep are there to protect our hearts? Are we not playing a completely different ball game when we place, not only our emotions, but our feelings on the line. It's a risk every time you reveal your feelings for another person and lay your heart out in the open for another person to accept or reject. That is considered the norm, but after a while it is inevitable that one becomes much more guarded with who they lay their heart on the line for. Experience has taught us to be more careful than we were in the beginning. After all, the phrase does go: once bitten twice shy. So as those acts where we show our true feelings for another become rarer so too do we grow more secretive and keep things from those close to us that we usually wouldn't. We don't tell those we truly prize how much they mean to us, and as secrets abound friends keeping secrets from one another becomes more common. Soon you start to realise that even your best friends can't be completely honest with you, and you realise that you yourself can't be completely honest with others about how you truly feel about them. So what, I ask, causes us to drive such a wedge in between ourselves and those dear to us? Pure and simple fear. It is fear that keeps friends from being honest with one another, fear that prevents boys telling girls how they feel about them, fear that grows secrets and creates the gap between friends and fear that will eventually ruin everything. For, no matter what someone may say is the reason for keeping secrets, it's nothing but an excuse. The main factor in every secret being kept, every time a friend decides not to be honest, and every time a guy doesn't tell the girl how important she is, is fear. And that's the mother of all secrets. _

_But eventually all secrets have to come out into the open; when is just a matter of time. For if life has taught us anything, it's that nothing stays secret for long. And that is when the real problems begin, for not only were you caught out lying, but now you have to explain yourself and your actions. We kept secrets from our parents when we were little and when the inevitable truth came out we suffered the punishment, and things haven't changed some ten years later. Only this time we don't have to contend with disappointed and angry parents who gave us more chores to do and grounded us, but we have to live with the consequences that we lied to our friends, and those ones are harder to mend. Is our fear of the honest truth so great we continue weaving these secrets and lies to protect ourselves, or do we just not know any better? Whether secrets are so necessary I'm not so sure anymore. And not being able to tell the honest truth to a close friend for fear of hurting them is an even worse excuse because what does it say about your friend or your friendship if you think he or she can't even handle it?_

_But then again maybe I was too quick to judge keeping secrets. Because the fact of the matter is, secrets have been kept since the dawn of time, and there must be more to it than just basic fear of the repercussions or hurting yourself or another. There has got to be more, especially when you are the object of the secret being kept. Is that grain of truth being held from you for a valid reason to protect you, or is someone not being completely truthful? Maybe we shouldn't follow our curiosity and always strive for the facts, for complete honesty. For if that friend of yours really does think you are too mean, or the guy you fancied for ages really isn't interested in you anymore, is it not just better living in ignorance if it means you will be spared the pain and heartache when after striving for the truth, you find out what people really think about you? Secrets are damaging, hurtful and kept hidden for a reason. Sometimes you just need to accept that. So yeah, in conclusion, I choose secrets. I choose not to know, and despite all the questions and what-ifs, I think it's still better not knowing than finding out the cold hard truth in the light of day and realising it hurts much more than you expected. _

_Until next time,_

_Calliope, 1993._


	6. Has The Whole School Gone Boy Crazy?

**A/N's:**** Hey everybody, guess who's back? :-) It's been far too long since I wrote another chapter, but here's chapter six all finished and ready for you to read. Again thanks are to all those who've read and reviewed my story urging me to come back and also my little sister, to whom I dedicate this chapter.  
P.S. Please review, it would make my day. :-)**

* * *

_Chapter 6; Has The Whole School Gone Boy Crazy?_

"Boys are stupid!" I grunted into the side of the pillow, where my head was currently resting on. I glanced up at Abby lying slouched over my bed, head not moving an inch and saw that she was nodding her head, chocolate curly hair bobbing with her in agreement.

"Why do we bother with them anyway?" she inquired, pausing from glancing at her nails, to catch my eyes, her piercing dark eyes sparkling in the lamp light from our respective beds.

I snorted and added in reply, "Merlin if I know. They're just a waste of space and Merlin help you when you do decide to give one of them a chance, they go and screw you over completely!"

"Don't you think we're sounding a bit bitter about this? I mean I get why you would be pissed off, but what excuse do I have?" Abby queried, and this caused me to raise my head. She frowned at me, but didn't say any more.

"Okay I admit, the whole shambles of a thing with Wood has left me a little biased, but the fact that you agree with me, just shows I have a valid point," I responded and this time it was Abby's turn to snort.

"Dear sweet Merlin, you're having an intellectual argument about hating boys! Who would have thought you could pull off intelligent?"

"Oi you!" I cried out, throwing a pillow at her, which she caught with ease due to my bad aim. She was laughing though and I smiled at her.

"But honestly Chrissie, don't you worry that maybe we are being a bit extreme about this?"

"No," I replied simply, shrugging my shoulders and adding. "Anyone who thinks they're some amazing bunch is just plain crazy."

"I've never heard truer or more bitter words spoken," Abby laughed lightly, but I never got a chance to retort to her comment for Tess chose that moment to come floating into the room. She shut the door behind her and flopped onto her bed, seemingly oblivious of our presence.

"Tess?" Abby and I called out, and it took her a moment to realise someone was talking to her.

"Hey guys," she spoke serenely and I wondered if she might start drifting up towards the ceiling if she continued being in such a light mood. "I've just had the most wonderful day ever!"

"And how was that?" I inquired, holding back a smile, Abby trying to do the same.

"I was stalking Joshua Goldstein all day and he caught me. My plan is going perfectly!" She sighed and gazed dreamily up at the canopy of her bed, falling backwards onto her mattress.

Abby and I caught each other's eyes and tried to bite back the smirk we were both wearing.

"Tess is so proving my earlier statement correct right now," I joked, rolling my eyes, smirk growing wider by the second.

"Yeah, Tess has gone boy crazy!"

***

"I can't believe you got us into this mess," Wood whinged from where he was crouched on the packed earth, dirt stains on his jeans and wearing a very sour expression on his face. I rolled my eyes, but kept my tongue, focussing instead on the detention assignment Professor Sprout had given us for disrupting her class. It was quite ironic how a few days ago, detention didn't seem that bad, in fact I was secretly looking forward to the prospect of spending a few hours with Wood with no distractions. Now it was pure torture, and the irony of the story is that it properly consisted of punishment for me. But I would not rise to Wood's repeated attempts to argue with me, I would be the bigger woman in this situation and stay quiet.

"Seriously Margate, are you not going to say anything? You did manage to get us into this situation. Have you nothing to say on the subject?"

I bit my lips, trying to ignore him but it was proving to be very hard, with his constant nagging. His rants continued on for another few minutes and I shocked him by finally responding.

"Can you pass me the trowel next to you?" I spoke, tone emotionless as I briefly glanced up at him and wished at that moment that I hadn't. He looked even more handsome than ever, and it seemed to be mocking me because now I couldn't have him. I sighed deeply, drawing on the great reserve of anger that I had stored in me over the last few days and bit back the biting retort that usually followed this train of thought.

"Are you kidding me, Margate?" Wood snorted, eyebrows raised. "Come on, have you not got any fancy comeback, or is that literally all you're going to say to me?"

"The trowel please?" I added, averting my eyes from his piercing gaze, but I was too weak and I glanced up briefly only to realise his large green irises were much closer than I expected. My hand was on the trowel and as his skin brushed innocently against my own, tingles ran up and down my spine and suddenly the only thing that I could think about was how soft his lips looked. I drew in a deep rattling breath and pulled my head away, eyes downcast in a vain attempt to break the spell I was under. I began digging in the ground, not really paying attention to what I was doing when his deep voice interrupted my scattered thoughts once more.

"Merlin's beard Margate, you've become such a bore these last few days," he commented and I sighed quietly to myself, knowing he was probably not going to get the point anyway that I didn't want to speak to him. I just continued digging aimlessly in the ground; maybe I would find my answers there. I wish that it would be easy and clean-cut when you end something with a guy, but Hogwarts being as small as it is, especially if you're in the same year, that tends to becomes more a dream than a reality. It certainly didn't help with the situation that Wood's presence still made my heart beat faster, my palms grow sweaty and every movement he made I was consciously aware of it. He really didn't make it any easier by still continually flirting with me. It all made me very sad, and it was with this melancholy in my heart that I sighed to myself and leaned over to grab the nearest plant I had to re-pot into the ground.

"Margate," Wood spoke softly as he grabbed a hold of my hand that had been reaching out for the plant lying limply on the ground next to him. My breath caught in my throat at his touch, fingers tingling. He pulled me towards him, his other arm encircling my waist as I suddenly found him so close to me. My breath hitched and my eyes widened in shock as he let go of my wrist and began delicately stroking my jaw.

"Come now Margate," he whispered huskily, that glint back in his leafy irises and my back stiffened. "Stop trying to fight this. You proved your point, now let's stop this ridiculous stalemate." It was when he uttered that last sentence of his, that suddenly something snapped within me and I saw red.

"Ridiculous stalemate?" I screeched, sounding very undignified but not really caring at the moment as I violently pushed Wood away from me and jumped up. "It's not a bloody ridiculous stalemate; I ended it with you because you were such a bastard to me, Wood!" I towered over where he was crouching on the ground, arms folded across my chest with the fury radiating off me in waves. He slowly pulled himself up and then looked down at me from his height, arms now similarly crossed.

"So this is why you've been so bitchy and cold with me, because I told you the honest truth and you couldn't handle it?"

"Oh I'll show you how well I can handle things!" I stormed, shoving him in the chest, which in hindsight was probably more proving his point than my own. "You're scared of commitment which makes you weak and pray do tell me, at what point did I give you the impression I was looking for a relationship?"

"Oh come on, you girls are always looking for a relationship, some idiotic boyfriend to parade around in front of your friends!" he snorted, a hint of bitterness, but one which I couldn't comment on at the present time.

"Seriously, when did I give you the impression that I wanted a relationship with you, or that I was one of those girls you painted. Have you got such a cynical view of women that you think they're all there to screw you over?" I prodded him in the chest, eyes ablaze with fury.

"Don't try and lie to me Margate that was exactly what you were aiming for at the Halloween party and you and I both know it!" Wood replied sharply, pulling himself upright so that he was soaring over my petite frame.

"No, let me explain exactly what was going on at that party, Wood!" I hissed, pointing my finger at him before continuing. "You saw that things were suddenly different, that it was no longer about the chase between us and you bolted, because you're so afraid of commitment, you would rather make yourself unhappy and hurt those around you than accept the fact you need to grow up and get over your childish insecurities. This has nothing to do with me making any plans for you and it certainly has nothing to do with your idiotic notion of trying to protect my feelings. This is all about how selfish you are!"

"You paint yourself very high and mighty, don't you Margate!" Wood scoffed and snorted at that thought as if it were the funniest thing he imagined. "You honestly think you meant that much to me?"

A loud resounding crack echoed through the empty greenhouse and it happened before I even realised it, my hand still floating in mid air, a shocked and infuriated look on my face. Wood looked dumbfounded and he mutely clasped a hand to his stinging and slightly swollen right cheek in a stupor.

"Miss Margate, Mr Wood?" Professor Sprout called out, tone filled with confusion and both our heads snapped around to stare at the open door where she stood. I didn't know how long she was there, but by the fact that she wasn't yelling at us, I realised I would not be getting more detention.

"We're nearly finished re-potting all those plants Professor," I replied, thoughts scattered as I stepped away from Wood, who was still standing dumbfounded on the spot. I hastily began picking up the last of the limp plants that were lying on the ground and shoving them into the earth, packing the soil over the roots.

"Heavens, why didn't someone come and get me, it's well past midnight!" she cried out and then shuffled into the room. "You can leave those Miss Margate. You've served enough detention for tonight."

_Oh how right she was_, I thought cynically and then sighed, dusting the soot off my muddy skirt and standing up again. I didn't look at Wood, but by his shuffling movements towards the door, I surmised he had pulled out of his daze. I bid my farewell to Professor Sprout and ran up towards the dark castle, leaving Wood behind in the blackness of the night.

***

It was a particularly nasty day, weather-wise, the day after my detention with Wood. The wind and turbulent rain were battering against the stone walls of the castle all day and by the time night fell, when it still hadn't let up, we were all found in the common room huddled on a sofa with a blanket strewn atop us. No-one felt much like working that chilly evening and even Jackie didn't have her usual book on her lap; instead Tess lay there. My wireless radio sat on a chair in front of us, the volume down, blaring a Muggle song by the dance group Black Box, but we weren't really paying attention. In fact we weren't really doing much of anything apart from idle chatter and from time to time the sparse conversation would drift back to my disastrous detention with Wood and we would all participate in some Wood bashing for a while.

It was during one of these incidents of Wood bashing that Ethan came into the common room and made his way over to us, sitting down on the arm of our sofa.

"What are you girls doing?" Ethan asked curiously, propping his legs up on the chair.

"We're planning bloody murder," Tess replied simply and I saw how Ethan took in Abby's pissed-off expression and imagined that my own visage looked much the same.

He frowned for a moment before uttering with a raised eyebrow, "Well if it involves Chrissie, should I pull Oliver out of the common room until he apologises about whatever he done to her?" His tone was slightly wary and I was pleased he realised the danger of having four pissed-off girls.

"Nah that would just make tracking him down harder," Tess added and I nodded my head sagely at this.

"Besides we're thinking a very public humiliation first," I grinned wickedly. I was feeling in a very dastardly mood, probably fuelled by the song from "You Keep Me Hangin' On" that played just a few minutes beforehand.

"Look, I know Oliver's been a class 'A' idiot to you Chrissie, but don't you guys think you're going too far?"

"Ethan," I said seriously, sitting up straight and grabbing his knee to keep his attention on me. "Let us just have a few days to bitch about what an asshole he is, we'll be back to normal then."

He sighed for a moment and then got up, turning around to us and adding, "You girls are crazy."

"No boys are idiots!" Abby chirped and we all grinned at her.

***

I'd always been taught that when it came to being tactful and reading others' emotions that fell into the department of the girls. They are after all the ones with the most experience comforting friends in times of woe. Boys on the other hand wouldn't even be aware that a girl was feeling low and at the off chance he did manage to cop on, a boy's insensitivity would be so astonishing it would just make a situation worse. At least that's what I've been told! Then again I never got any evidence to dispute that claim, other than some rare exceptional cases like that of my male best friend. So you could imagine to my total surprise, when on a cold and miserable Wednesday afternoon sitting in Astronomy class, with Oliver Wood sitting across from me that a boy came out with this statement;

"You look a little bummed out. Sure you won't mind if I sit next to you and cheer you up because we can't have someone depressed in Astronomy."

The boy you ask who could possibly be so perceptive? Well that would be a seventh year Ravenclaw by the name of Roger Davies that I mostly knew of because he was the attractive Captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Though he was by no means the hottest boy in our year, he more than made up for it with his charm and easy personality. He was also reputed to be quite a ladies man, which strangely, seemed to add to his appeal. He wasn't quite as tall as Wood or as stocky as Ethan, and his mousey brown hair was nothing special either, but he possessed a cheeky grin and mischievous copper eyes that told a very different story to his parted hair and neat attire. Simply put, the boy had a twinkle in his eye that spoke of fun and a little danger. So what on earth was this boy even doing talking to me?

"Shall I take that as a yes?" he added, tone a little unsure. I suddenly realised that I had been staring at him open mouthed while I was caught in my own head.

"Sure," I replied blushing slightly and quickly closing my mouth. After all, no-one thinks that looking like a fish is attractive. "There's no-one sitting there anyway."

"Brilliant," he grinned and plopped himself down next to me as I pushed my parchment and ink well over to my side of the table to give him more space.

"I'm Roger by the way, "he said holding out his hand, which I shook with a grin on my face. How very formal and gentleman-like.

"I know," I counteracted as I drew back my hand and picked up my quill to continue writing down notes on planetary alignment, only to pull my head up again when I saw that Roger was staring at me, with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh so you do? And how exactly is that?" Roger asked mischievously, eyes twinkling.

"Oh I'm not some kind of stalker!" I exclaimed emphatically, blushing again at how my statement could be so misconstrued. "I know about you because you're Captain of the Ravenclaw team and I'm a huge Quidditch fan, not because of anything else."

"So you're not the type of girl that stalks boys?" he inquired, clearly loving teasing me.

"No, that's my friend Tess, not me. I'm assuming Joshua is a friend of yours?"

"Yeah he is. Though don't tell anybody I said this," he added in a lower tone, leaning into me. "But he clearly loves the attention." Roger nodded his head sagely to this piece of information and I grinned at him.

"So you mean Tess is actually succeeding? Wow, I so didn't think it would work," I responded and he nodded his head.

"Well since you seem to know so much about me, tell me about yourself Miss Christina," he asked, propping his elbow on the table.

"Oh so you know about me too, do you? Looks like I should be asking you about stalking," I raised an eyebrow at him, but he wouldn't even look sheepish at being caught out.

"Can you blame a guy?" Then he winked and grinned at me and I shook my head in mock exasperation.

"Well then, you can call me Chrissie and do tell all that you know about me."

"You're a big Quidditch fan, very hot by the way," he spoke, sending a cheeky grin my way. "You obviously don't really give a shit about academics because McGonagall is always giving out to you and you've some very crazy friends if Tess is anything to go by. How did I do?"

"You know if anything that's taught me that you have stalker tendencies and I'm far too easy to read," I laughed, smiling at him.

"Nah, I'm just too astute," he spoke dismissively.

"Well I never thought I'd see the day when a boy was actually aware of other people! You've done your gender proud!" I replied with emotion, though the cynicism was shining through in my voice.

"I think I'm just one of a kind," Roger commented and I laughed lightly.

"Well so far I've learned that you're very surprising, really cheeky and with a high regard for yourself."

"I can't believe you think I've a big ego!" Roger cried out, seemingly affronted, but I could see through him.

"Mr Davies and Miss Margate, would you please keep it down in class!" Sinstra declared, hands on her hips as she glared at the both of us. Roger and I shut our mouths, looking sheepish at her. She was always one of the nice ones.

"Sorry Professor," Roger and I chorused together in unison and when we realised that, we caught each other's eyes and grinned. It was while my attention was pulled away from Roger that I realised that Wood had been watching us intently, a frown marring his handsome features. I sent a quick glare in his direction and turned my attention to my partner in crime again.

"I can't believe you think I've a big ego," Roger hissed at me quietly and I grinned at him from the corner of my eye. "You're making it sound like it's such a bad thing."

"That's because usually it is," I responded, whispering quietly, our heads tucked down so it looked like we were busily writing.

"Yeah, but I'm not usual, am I?" I had to smile at that. We didn't speak for about ten minutes as both Roger and I went back to our class work, though my piece of parchment was more filled with doodles than actual notes on planetary alignment.

"What are you doing this evening?" Roger asked, stopping with what he was writing down.

"Probably catching up on all the Astronomy class notes I missed today because of you, "I replied with a quirk on my face, glancing quickly at him from the corner of my eye. He was grinning like a Cheshire cat and I couldn't help but reciprocate.

"Well that's no fun. Come on, me and you will hang out tonight."

"No, I've got work to do. I've to be sensible about my education," I replied not lifting my head and I was glad that my long hair obscured my face and hid my smile.

"You don't care about your education, come on Chrissie!" His eyebrow was raised and I sighed, because he was right and I couldn't argue against it.

"And what if I tell you I've got plans?" As soon as the words left my mouth I knew he would look right through my very feeble lie.

"Bollocks, what could be more important than hanging out with me?"

"See there's that ego again!" I cried out, pointing my finger at him, which must have made me look so childish.

"Mr Davies, Miss Margate, will you please stop disrupting my class!" Sinstra cried out angrily and Roger and I both apologised and went back to our work. I glanced quickly across the giant floating model of our solar system around which the tables were set to see that Wood was still staring at us. I sighed quietly to myself and went back to my work, sending Roger a sneaky grin.

"Come on Chrissie, what are you afraid of?" Roger was gently nudging my side, but my attention was still on Wood sitting across the solar system from us.

"You know what, you're right," I replied eyes still on Wood, before I finally pulled them away and grinned at Roger. "I can't think of anything better to do with my time." The grin on his face matched mine, and I knew that even though Wood couldn't hear us properly he would be pretty pissed off right now. That thought alone made my day.

***

"You know I realised something today in Potions," I spoke and turned to Abby who was walking next to me as we made our way through the maze of corridors on the fourth floor.

"And what's that?" she queried, glancing at me from the corner of her eye. She paused for a moment at a junction and then lightly grabbed my elbow as she guided me down the corridor to our left.

"That you're not interested in boys."

"Sweetie, you've known me for how long, six years, and you're only realising this now?" Abby laughed sardonically, her chestnut curls bouncing from side to side and I shook my head.

"What I mean is, I realised how weird that is today in Potions. I mean I always knew that, but then again I never put much thought into it until now."

"So I'm weird now?" Abby quipped, raising an eyebrow.

"Come on Abby," I sighed, rolling my eyes at her. "You're my best friend and I love you, but that's strange!"

"Why is it so odd that a girl isn't obsessed with boys? I know this whole school seems to have gone a little boy crazy these last few weeks especially Tess, but it doesn't mean we're all like that!"

"Abby, you're not gay, so why wouldn't you show an interest?" I pressed, nudging her arm.

"How do you know I amn't?" Abby winked, draping her arm around my shoulders. "I could've just been pretending to get close to you!" She grinned and I laughed at her silliness.

"Abby I worry about you!"

"Chrissie," Abby began her voice soothing as she squeezed my arm. "I like guys! I personally think that the lead singer of the Weird Sisters is really hot, and so was Robert Coulston who was a few years ahead of us. Are you seriously telling me, you're worried about me because I'm not acting like Tess?"

"No!" I replied emphatically. "It's just you're like one of the hottest girls in our year."

"Awww shucks, you're too kind," Abby cried, overemphasising her words, pretending to blush.

"I mean it! Karine is the stunner in our year, while you're more beautiful and it really wouldn't surprise me if you were on the top five list of a lot of guys in this school."

"You know how I feel about outside looks, Chrissie. At the end of the day it doesn't give you what you really want like friendship, so why bother with it?" Abby shrugged her shoulders.

"It's just I've never seen you show interest in a guy in school. For example, at the Quidditch party when that guy from Hufflepuff was trying so hard to chat you up, you didn't even notice."

"He was trying to flirt with me?" Abby's face scrunched up in confusion, which made her look adorable.

"It was so obvious Abby. He was blushing furiously and mumbling the whole time, in fact he looked like a big bumbling fool and you didn't notice?"

"I thought he was just like that."

"See that's the thing that I was on about. You're so oblivious, you could meet the perfect guy for you and he would just slip on by because you weren't aware of it," I replied, sighing lightly, before catching her dark amber eyes.

"But isn't by definition, that perfect guy going to catch my attention when or if he comes?" Abby reasoned and I had to nod my head at her logic. "I get why you're worried, you think I'm missing out, but honestly if missing out is debacles like you had with Oliver, then amn't I better off?"

"As always, in an argument of logic you always win out," I joked.

"I know I'm probably the anti-thesis of the whole school that's gone boy crazy, but I'm happy and I'm not lonely. I have my dear friends and I have you, what more could a girl need?"

"You're a sweetheart Abby," I replied and grinned at her as we walked on down the corridor.

***

I honestly didn't know why I was so anxious at this particular moment, making my way down the endless flights of stairs to the Great Hall to meet Roger Davies. I nervously fidgeted with my long wool cardigan and brushed the dark blonde hair away from my face in an attempt to calm my frayed nerves and when I caught myself biting away at my fingernails I grew cross.

Merlin's beard Chrissie! Pull yourself together," I spoke to myself angrily and stopped biting my nails. It was a filthy habit anyway.

The girls had made a big deal about me hanging out with Roger, but I couldn't understand why I was so nervous; the main incentive for me to say yes had been Wood's reaction, so I shouldn't be skittish. Yet I was. And what's worse, I was wearing my favourite baby doll dress, the light blue one and tights despite the fact it was freezing in the castle and I'd probably end up with pneumonia because of this. Well I always was an idiot when it came to boys, probably why Tess and I got on so well.

It was in all my musings that I startlingly realised I was standing outside the Great Hall. I gulped and pulled open the heavy oak doors to find the Hall sparsely filled with students either sitting on tables or loitering in between the House rows. I immediately spotted Roger sitting at the far end of the Gryffindor table wearing a thick maroon jumper and black trousers. He grinned at me as I walked up to him and jumped off where he had been sitting on the table. The first thought that flashed through my head was that he smelled nice; a combination of sandalwood and another scent I couldn't determine.

"Why hello, Miss Christina," he said genially, performing an exaggerated bow, a smile on his lips as he straightened up.

"I see you've switched sides," I spoke, barely suppressing a grin as I nodded at the Gryffindor table he had been sitting on.

"Oh I was just checking out enemy territory, see if their women are hotter than ours," he replied, winking at me to which I had to roll my eyes.

"And what did you find out?" I inquired, curiosity shining through.

"They certainly make life more interesting!"

I giggled at that and then mentally smacked myself for sounding so idiotic. What would Roger think of me?

"Well apart from flattering Gryffindors, Mr. Davies, what else have you got planned?" I asked him, my attention and body fully turned towards him.

"I'm going to take you on a tour of the castle," he declared, offering me the crook of his arm, which I took with a raised eyebrow.

"You're very gallant, but I'm a seventh year. I know what the castle looks like," I remarked, wearing a sceptical look.

"Ah you think you know the castle, but how well do you really know it?"

He had me stumped at that.

"Have you ever seen the underground access to the lake?"

"There's an underground access to the lake?" I cried, completely astonished.

"Oh we are going to have so much fun, Miss Christina!" he chuckled and led me out of the Great Hall. I wondered exactly what I had gotten myself into.

"So I'll admit, I really don't the castle at all," I admitted to Roger as we sat ourselves down on an old divan in the Transfiguration, that had obviously been an advanced Transfiguration project from long ago, judging by the frayed and faded crimson colour and the many holes that littered the old fabric.

"I betcha you could live in this castle for twenty years and never figure out all of its secrets," he mused and I nodded my head, sitting so I was facing him. The light was quite dark as we hadn't lit all the candles on the candelabra suspended in the air above our heads and even though it was quite chilly in the classroom, I felt warm sitting next to Roger.

"So tell me, how did you find out all this stuff about the castle?" I inquired, dropping my hands onto my lap.

"We used to go exploring the castle back when we were first and second years," Roger stated and then looked up at me with a slight smile on the corner of his mouth. "But enough of the castle, Miss Christina. Tell me about yourself."

"You already asked me that in class," I responded, looking away from his face because it felt intense and I didn't know how to feel.

"And I'm asking you again, because you dodged the question then and you're doing it now," Roger remarked and I looked up with a confused look on my face.

"Why the sudden interest in who I am? There's nothing that interesting about me," I replied, a slight disbelieving smile on my face.

"Are you sure about that?" The question threw me. I glanced at Roger's earnest face to see he wasn't joking and looked away, focussing on a blank part of the wall opposite me as I tried to process what he had said.

"I'm just an average seventh year Gryffindor from Cornwall. I'm an only child with only child tendencies who loves Quidditch and occasionally goes a little boy mad, but apart from some crazy friends there's nothing different from me to every other girl in this school."

"See I think there is. There's something about you and it doesn't have anything to do with you liking Quidditch or stalking guys in the bowels of this castle. For one thing you've got a really great smile and you're the kind of person that would never let things get you down or change who you are. That's pretty rare to find here at Hogwarts, so the next time you say you're ordinary, just think of this castle that I just took you on a tour on. You thought it was quite easy to know too." Roger reasoned and I nodded my head in agreement, more to show that I agreed with him, than having understood what he had said to me. The more I hung out with Roger, the more I realised he was so completely different to how I expected guys my age to be. Maybe it's because he's a Ravenclaw and therefore more inclined to think intellectually, but it didn't explain the intensity of hanging around him. His whole personality caused me to become quite shy, which I found very strange. I felt like I was losing a bit of myself just sitting here on the tables in the empty classroom with him, so I fought for control over my emotions and drew on the assertive part of me.

"You don't always have to call me 'Miss Christina'," I quirked assertively, drawing back a little, because Roger was looking at me in such an intense way, it was making me quite self-conscious.

"Why not? Don't you like it?"

"It's just odd. Most people just call me Chrissie," I fumbled for the words, taking instead to fidgeting with my fingers, because I was failing miserably in being emphatic.

"But I'm not most people," came his easy reply.

"No, I guess you're not. You're so not who I thought you would be," I spoke, trying to convey what I felt, but at the same time I failed miserably because I didn't know myself how I felt. He was just so hard to read and intense and it made me unsure.

"And what was that?" he grinned, the dimples on his face growing, which made him look quite adorable, if not child-like.

"I don't know. You're Captain of the Ravenclaw team yet you're not Quidditch obsessed, or a sports fanatic like the most of them. Plus you keep throwing me through a loop with all these questions, which is making it really hard to figure out what you're actually like," I shrugged my shoulders, feeling a little silly at the same time.

"Well how about I clear some things up for you," he smirked, getting up from the divan until he stood facing me, a slight quirk on the corner of his mouth. "How about you come with me to Hogsmeade this weekend on a date and that way you can figure out a lot more about me over a Butterbeer or two." He propped his hands on the back of the divan where I was sitting on either side of me and leaned in close, that smile still on his face. I fought back a grin and nodded my head. A thought flashed through my head of seeing Wood's annoyed face look on as Roger and I were having a brilliant time in Hogsmeade on a date and it was this image that caused the grin to break out across my face.

"Okay," I replied, looking up into his copper eyes to see them sparkle in the candlelight, much like they had in class earlier that day. The mischievous part in him had come out again. He leaned in close, and I smelled that heady wooden scent of him again as his lips briefly brushed against my cheek. The action alone caused me to go beet red and I looked down, hoping my hair would hide the blush. He pulled his head back and let go of the back of the divan, a neutral expression on his face again, though I could tell the impish part of him still lay there under the surface.

"You sure make life interesting Miss Christina," he grinned and then stepped back. "I think I should get you back before curfew comes around and you end up in trouble."

I glanced at my watch and with a startle saw that it was nearing ten p.m. "Merlin's beard!" I exclaimed shocked and jumped up. "It's already been three hours?"

"Time flies when you're having fun," Roger sang in a very childish tone of voice that caused me to laugh lightly, the grin wide across my face. "Now come, let's get you back before Filch goes mental." We made our way out of the Transfiguration classroom and made our way back to the Gryffindor Tower, where Roger dropped me off with a grin and a kiss on the cheek, before I trekked on alone to the portrait and went into the common room.

Upon arrival I was bombarded by the girls with exclamations and questions, but I just grinned on and made my way up to the girls' dormitory, knowing they would follow and realising they probably wouldn't stop until they had ever single little detail.

***

I'm a social person, I really am, but there will come a time when I just need to be on my own, left to my devices and thoughts. Sometimes it is the cause of a fight with either my friends or Abby, but mostly it is prompted on by me. Some people find this really weird, that I would prefer at times to be anti-social, considering how I usually thrive on being involved in a bustling crowd, but even I need some time for myself to reflect and relax. It it at times like these that I usually end up sitting in an abandoned classroom with my wireless radio listening to Muggle music in an attempt to quell my raging thoughts and lift my spirits. So you could imagine my surprise when I realised someone was also in the room after eight in the evening, watching as I drew rough images using chalk on the blackboard.

"Merlin!" I cried out, dropping the chalk on the stone floor as my hand flew to my heart. I spun around, crossing my arms over my chest and glared at Wood leaning against the open doorframe, partially because he gave me such a fright and partially because I was still furious at him over how he had treated me.

"Wood have you ever heard of knocking or leaving someone in peace?" I bit out irritably, leaning myself against the top desk.

"You might wanna close the door the next time you don't wish to be disturbed," he replied coolly, pushing himself off the doorframe and walking into the room.

"Can't you find another classroom to hang around or find someone else to bug, because I'm really not in the mood," I bit out testily and decided I didn't need to converse with him any further. I made my way back to the blackboard, picking up the chalk and I continued to draw my crude illustration of a Chaser diving after the Quaffle. I lazily pointed my wand at the wireless propped on a table in the corner and changed the station to a song more upbeat. I sketched for a few minutes, listening to the songs as I drew along, but I grew diverted by the fact I could still feel Wood's presence in the room and it irritated me highly.

"Do I have to spell it out for you or can't you get the message that I want you to leave?" I ranted, back still turned to him, though the chalk hung suspended in the air.

"I hear you're hanging around with Roger Davies now," Wood commented and I spun around on the spot, eyebrows raised high, unable to process that comment. It was meant to have been thrown so lazily into the conversation, but failed for I could hear the disbelief in his voice.

"So what if I am?" I replied without emotion, my free hand resting on my hip.

"You do realise he's the biggest womaniser out there," he retorted, crossing his arms across his chest and involuntarily flexed his impressive muscles. I growled at myself for observing, but I also noticed that there was a frown line forming on his forehead and I didn't know how to react, so I went back to the fail-safe option; anger.

"Are you sure you're not mixing him up with you?" I snorted. Yep, that frown line was definitely deepening as I saw him scowl at me. I let out a laugh as the absurdity of the situation flooded over me. The same guy who had dumped me a week previous as he didn't want to be tied down was warning me away from another guy because he's apparently a womaniser! I chuckled to myself and perked up when Kim Wilde came on the radio with a classic eighties hit. I turned back to the blackboard, humming to the catchy song that seemed strangely appropriate.

"Margate, I'm trying to give you advice here. Could you stop with the bitchiness for one minute and listen to me!" Wood snapped and I grew livid.

"No you listen here!" I yelled, spinning around on the spot, face red with fury as I glared at him ferociously, finger pointing at him. "You made your feelings perfectly clear at the 7C Halloween party. You lost all rights to give me advice that night!" Wood just stood there and it was his inaction that just fuelled my anger at him, so I ranted on. "You just can't handle the thought that I might hang out with someone else, that you're not the centre of attention anymore and even worse that another guy could treat better what you took for granted. Well it's too little too late Wood, because you ended it with me so I'm just gonna move on! Maybe you should take a listen to the words of the song playing now because I'm not gonna bother with you anymore." I angrily jabbed my wand in the direction of the wireless, sending the volume level up a few decibels.

_Set me free why don't you babe, get of my life why don't you babe, cos you don't really love me. You just keep me hangin' on. _

_You say you still care for me, but your heart and soul needs to be free. And now that you've got your freedom, you wanna still hold on to me. You don't want me for yourself. So let me find somebody else..._

I stormed out of the classroom, bumping against Wood's shoulder on the way out and letting the door slam shut behind me. Wood just stood there in the middle of the classroom, arms folded and still wearing that frown.

***

I hated confronting situations that I didn't like or want to face. My natural instinct is to run away from these situations, heck I've been doing it for years and it always seemed to go fine for me, but this time I knew there was no running away from this. If Aiden and I were to survive as friends, we needed to sit down and talk it out. And it was something that I really didn't want to do.

I walked into the common room on a Friday evening, hands in my cardigan pockets as my eyes scanned the crowded room, searching for the familiar mop of tame brown hair and lanky body that belonged to my male best friend. He wasn't a hard figure to discover, sitting on one of the chairs in the back, legs propped up on a table, the overhead chandelier light illuminating him as he read a book. No-one else at the moment was around him and I shuffled over to where he sat, hands still deep in my pockets.

"Hey," I instigated hoarsely and then cleared my throat to repeat the word. Aiden marked the page in his book and slowly raised his head to catch sight of me. His eyes widened a little, but apart from that he showed no outward reaction to my presence after a few weeks of avoiding him.

"Chrissie," he uttered, the word devoid of emotion and I briefly closed my eyes, knowing this was going to become a lot more difficult than I thought.

"Can I talk to you?" I pressed on, summoning all the courage I possessed.

"Talk away," he spoke, voice deadpan. He opened his book again and found the page that he had been reading, resting it on his propped-up legs.

"In private, somewhere else, maybe?"

"Fine," he sighed, closing the book with a snap and getting up. I realised how tall he was and wondered if I ever realised that before.

"How about a classroom?" I queried and he shrugged his shoulders. It was plain to see that he was pissed off, but I didn't want to start a fight in the common room in front of everyone. I made my way to the portrait door, hoping he would follow and thankfully I could hear the shuffle of his feet follow behind me. We walked down a few flights of stairs in stony silence, silence that felt unbearable and incredibly oppressive, but I didn't say anything. A classroom was soon found and I propped myself up on a table, to see Aiden lean against one opposite me.

"I think we need to talk about us," I murmured and he nodded his head.

"I guess we do."

Silence passed between us. I looked at my fingers clasped together, resting on my lap and glimpsed up to see that Aiden was alternating between looking at me and out of the dark window where nothing could be seen because it was night. I could distantly hear the sound of footsteps and mumbled conversations along with the gentle rattle of rain beating against the window panes and my hearing could even pick up Aiden's deep breaths. Neither of us knew what to say and neither were likely to speak until we had figured that out. The minutes seemed to creep by and I grew restless.

"Somebody should speak before one of us graduates," I spoke, a slight smile on the corner of my mouth but that faded again. Aiden stood up straight and paced around the tables in the room, arms crossed, his brow furrowed as he thought deeply.

"Are you actually ever going to tell me why you've been so cold to me for the last few weeks?" he blurted out angrily, then sighed and dropped his arms to his sides.

"Yeah," I replied quietly, looking up at him. His eyes bored into my own.

"Then what?"

"I don't know," I faltered, but that only seemed to anger him further.

"Christ's sake Chrissie!" he hollered and I flinched at the severity in his tone.

"Aiden, I'm sorry, but I don't know how to process this. I don't want to hurt you," I spoke meekly, dropping my gaze to my hands again.

"And you think your current actions aren't doing that exactly? You could have just told me!"

"You know I'm bad at this," I pleaded with him and Aiden sighed. "I just freaked out."

"Chrissie, you and I could have just talked about this, but instead you freak out, ignore me and lie to my face. What do you expect me to do?"

"I don't know. I just want things to go back to the way they were," I sighed, running my hands through my messy blonde hair and fixing him with a glance.

"Well it's a little too late for that. You can't just keep treating people this way," Aiden reiterated and I nodded my head.

"I know. It just got very complicated with Wood and then all of a sudden you like me and I didn't know how to handle it. Tell me what to do to make it right," I pleaded with him but he shook his head.

"I can't tell you what to do. You need to figure that out yourself, but if I were to give you a tip, it would be to stop running from problems just because you're freaked out or you don't want to hurt anybody." Aiden stood there stoically and my features slumped at his remark. My shoulders dropped down and I stared at my mary jane shoes, because it was a hell of a lot easier than dealing with an irate best friend who I had hurt. I felt like shit and I could completely understand if he never wanted to talk to me again. I had been so immature and bitchy to him, without ever giving a reason.

"Do you honestly still want us to be friends?" The sentence surprised me and I looked up, expression hopeful.

"Of course I do! Aiden you're my best friend!" I replied emphatically, keeping eye contact with his own.

"You know you can't just run away and ignore a problem if it arises, right?" I nodded my head to show that I agreed with him. "And you're gonna have to talk to me if something is making you feel uncomfortable."

"Yeah I know," I said, nodding my head.

"Come here Chrissie," he sighed, opening his arms and I stood up to hug him tightly. I smiled into his chest, glad that we had at least somewhat resolved our problems.

"But what are we going to do about you liking me?" I asked hesitantly, glancing up into his green eyes. I let go of him and he stepped back.

"I know you don't feel the same way about me Chrissie and don't worry I'm okay with it. I've known that for quite a while," he replied, tone sombre.

"I'm sorry," I shrugged helplessly and it caused Aiden to smile at me for the first time in days. The action made me sigh with relief and I smiled back up at him.

"Come on, let's go back to the common room before rumours will be started about our absence," Aiden replied, leading the way out of the classroom.

***

"Come on Chrissie, I swear he went this way," Tess hissed quietly as she pulled on the sleeve of my black jumper and yanked me around the corner of the corridor. Why exactly would you ask, the reason why Tess and I were stalking around the bowels of the castle? Well let's just say that a discussion was had in which one of us might have insinuated to the other that she was taking this pursuit of a boy a little too seriously. Of course all that was said, was meant with the kindest of hearts, but unfortunately Tess is about as stubborn as I am and insisted I come along and see why she was doing this.

"Oh where's he gone now?" Tess exclaimed, letting go of my arm and walking along the corridor with my sorry ass trailing behind.

"Tess, are you sure he went down here. Who in their right mind would willingly hang around the dungeons in the middle of winter," I whined, wrapping my arms around me and cursing the fact that I forgot to bring something warmer with me since my jumper obviously wasn't doing the job.

"Yeah, he's always down here in the evening. I think it has something to do with liking the peace," Tess replied, ignoring my whining and she stopped so I would catch up with her. She took my wrist and led the way again around the corner, while I looked behind me to see where exactly she had led me. With a quiet 'Ooof' I stumbled into Tess' back and rubbing my nose with a groan I straightened up and saw why Tess had stopped so abruptly in the middle of the corridor. There stood an amused Joshua Goldstein, wearing a thick scarf and an even bigger grin and next to him was Roger Davies, I realised with a wince, smirking sardonically at the both of us. I stepped around Tess and with a side glance my thoughts were confirmed when I saw she was staring, like a deer caught in the headlights, at Joshua.

"Hi," I spoke breezily, gently nudging Tess in the side to catch her attention. "Fancy seeing you down here."

"Amazing isn't it, bumping into each other, here of all places," Roger replied amusement shining through in his voice. "We were just going for a walk down here. How about you?"

"Oh you know, the same," I replied blandly, as if Tess and I hadn't just been caught red-handed stalking the boys.

"Hey Tess," Joshua called out, wearing a large grin and waving at her. All it caused was for Tess to let out a squeak and her eyes to widen even more, to the point I feared they may pop out of her skull. I tried hard not to let a smile form at that.

"Well lads it's been fun, but I'm afraid I'll have to take Tess back to the Gryffindor tower as she seems a little comatosed," I chirped and beamed at the two lads, taking Tess gently by the arm and leading her away from Joshua and Roger, who probably thought we were mental now.

"There, there Tess," I soothed, patting her shoulder to reassure her, while trying very hard not to let the large grin break on my face.

***

The second date with Roger was a lot easier for my fluttering stomach to process as I knew what to expect, and after having rather surprised myself with how much fun I had with the Ravenclaw. So when he had asked me for a repeat a few days later, I happily said yes. It was also giving me an extreme sense of satisfaction to see how much it irked Wood. Though I had remained a stoic silence when questioned on the topic by Wood himself, the girls had more than lived up to my expectations of friends by loudly discussing in minute detail all about how great my date had been when he was in hearing distance. I did love the girls for that. I grinned at the memory and pushed my unruly dark blonde hair back as I descended down the main staircase.

There waiting against the tall marble banister was the chestnut mop, neatly parted to the side so that parts were falling into his eyes, of Roger Davies and it made him look incredibly charming. He was wearing an Appleby Arrows jersey and a large smile upon the sight of me. I reciprocated and stopped next to him.

"Hey gorgeous," he crooned, one side of his mouth rising upwards.

I raised an eyebrow at that remark, but the grin spread across my face.

"Hello to you too! So what have you got planned for me this time. Maybe a swim in the Lake?" I teased, whacking him lightly on the upper arm in a joking manner.

"On the contrary, Miss Christina," Roger replied, his tone low and rumbling. He grabbed the hand with which I had whacked him on the arm, his thumb tracing a circle on the palm of my hand that caused me to swallow. The feeling sent jolts of electricity through my hand.

"I'm going to take you to my side of the castle," he remarked, pulling my hand gently along. I followed with a silly smile on my face, letting him lead me to the western section of the castle.

We walked along, I was trailing a little behind with that idiotic smile on my face because he was still holding onto my hand for some even more idiotic reason the whole thing was making me giddy. We ended up high in the western tower, Ravenclaw Tower, and after an innumerable amount of twists and hidden staircases, he opened up a door and pulled me inside.

The room was medium sized with a set of small windows, rich wood panelling and deep blue borders and carpet. One side of the wall was completely taken up by an impressive bookcase and small tables and couches were littered around the room. Upon our entry a fire sprung to life in the dark wooden fireplace, which illuminated the sparsely lit room. The rich, deep smell of aged wood and hint of brandy hit my nostrils and I turned, astounded, on Roger.

He must have seen the confused look on my face, for he turned to me and uttered, "This is Flitwick's office. He lets us seventh year Ravenclaws use it sometimes if we need somewhere quiet to study."

"Wow!" I uttered, walking towards the bookcase and absently brushing the spines of the old books. "I'm impressed he lets you come in here."

"He's pretty cool about that," Roger muttered with a shrug of his shoulders as he walked to the couch closest to the fireplace and fell into it. He tapped the space next to him and I sat myself down, turning my body so I was sitting on my leg and facing him.

"So how come it's empty now?" I commented, looking around.

He shrugged nonchalantly and spoke, "I pulled a few strings."

"Like what?" I replied, trying hard not to smile.

"I'd ease off on the 6am training sessions for a week or two," he said, and then grinned devilishly. "And it was so worth it!"

The compliment stunned me and I didn't know how to react. I wasn't used to someone being so forward with me or even complimenting me so much. Wood had just made innuendos, he had never called me gorgeous or insinuated anything he had to sacrifice on for me was worth it. It completely threw me through a loop.

"Thanks," I replied, very unsure of myself and of the situation. I was in uncharted waters and facing the very real danger of falling for this charming and wonderfully complimenting guy. The image of Wood, his smirking grin cam floating into my mind at it brought purpose and clarity to the confusion.

"So why me?" I asked lightly, intending the question to come across as a joking one.

"You really don't see what others see, do you?" he queried, frowning lightly at me, as if he was contemplating something.

"What do you mean?"

"Let me guess. You see yourself as quite plain and boring, don't you?" Roger mused and I frowned at him.

"I don't see what this has to do with anything," I responded. "I'm just curious; there are so many hot girls in our year, why me?"

"Because you're not them," Roger said and then when he saw the disbelieving look on my face, he elaborated. "They're not all they're cracked up to be, those girls. It's the same reason Wood was chasing after you the whole time."

"Wood?" I cried out, astonished.

"He probably saw the exact same thing I see now; that there's something special about you that has me so interested," he shrugged and I stared at him, not sure what to make of it.

"I don't know what to say," I uttered.

"The only thing is, Wood was too stupid and let it go," he added and my eyebrows flew sky high.

"What were you and Wood anyway? Were you guys going out or something?" Roger prompted, now suddenly very interested in the topic of me and Wood.

"I know about as much as you do," I shrugged, the familiar irritation over the whole debacle rising to the surface. "He was so hot and cold it was hard to keep up."

"Well it certainly kept the whole school talking for a few weeks. Caused one or two minor fits among the girls in my house," Roger grinned and I scowled at him. He sensed my irritation over the entire topic and quickly added.

"But let's not talk about that tosser!"

I grinned at him and eased myself up on the couch next to him as we changed the topic and I had real trouble focussing on what he said because of his hand resting on my thigh.

It was much later, as the last embers of the fire crackled and the candle stubs were the only thing providing light in the room, when I realised with a shock as I looked at my watch, that it was well past curfew. Roger and I were laid out on the carpet in front of the fireplace, playing Exploding Snap and sharing jokes and stories that we hadn't even realised how late it was.

"Oh crap!" I cried, jumping up when I looked at my watch. Roger quickly gathered up the singed cards on the floor and swiftly pushed himself up, dusting off his trousers and looking seriously into my eyes.

"I'm sorry for keeping you so long. Guess I was having too much fun with you," Roger uttered and I grinned at him. Despite how anxious I was not to get caught by wither Filch or the Professors; I had a long record of getting caught after curfew and I had no desire to receive detention again; I didn't want to leave.

"I had fun too," I spoke, hesitating at the door, facing Roger. He grinned at me, touching my cheek with his hand, the light touch shocking my senses. I breathed out unsteadily and we left Flitwick's office, Roger pulling me along, his hand oddly comforting in mine.

We quietly sneaked through the castle, Roger taking the secret passageways and long route, so by the time we were on the sixth floor and nearing Gryffindor Tower, I was starting to relax; thinking we'd gotten off scot-free.

All of a sudden, out of the silence, the sound of heavy footsteps and the _miaow_ of a cat could be heard a few corridors up. We paused for a moment, but Filch seemed to be making his way towards me and Roger. He pulled on my hand and we traced our steps backwards, while quietly looking for somewhere to hide. Spotting a suit of armour in a dark alcove, Roger pulled me inside and pushed me in the small space we had behind the suit and the wall.

My beating heart was thumping loudly and Roger's ragged breath was fanning a spot on my neck near my pulse-line and we tried to be as silent as possible, waiting for Filch to pass. I glanced up at Roger and saw his usual tidy mop messed from the exertion, his chocolate eyes darker and wider in the dim light. His lips were hovering along my neck and I resisted the urge to kiss him; now was not the best time. We waited for an other minute or two, until Filch's heavy footsteps could no longer be heard and it was only then that I breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled crookedly down from his height at me and it was only then that I realised both his hands were pressed against the wall behind me on either side of my shoulders. I also realised that he was in no hurry to move out of our hiding spot and I couldn't move until he did.

"I think-" I squeaked and quietly cleared my throat, a blush forming on my cheeks.

"I think the coast is clear," I repeated, relieved my voice sounded normal again.

"I think you're right," he replied grinning devilishly at me, making no attempt to move. I started squirming nervously, Roger was still pressed up against me. His lips hovered around my neck and it sent shivers down my spine. Slowly and deliberately he pulled away and I exhaled. He held out his hand and I took it, as we climbed out of our hiding spot, before hurrying down the corridor again.

On the seventh floor of the Gryffindor Tower he said goodbye to me with a kiss on the cheek that was still tingling a few minutes later as I stumbled, dazed, into the Gryffindor common room.

It was only as I was assaulted by the girls that a thought struck me. I hadn't thought of Wood for the last few hours at all and this realisation shocked me, but it was quickly dwarfed by the racing thoughts all focussed on Roger Davies.

***

Tess and I weren't that boy crazy. Of that I was sure, because while we may love the male specimen a lot and frequently discuss them for lengthy periods, I don't think it's enough grounds to qualify us as crazy about them. Sure it may drive Abby and Jackie a little insane from time to time, but they just had a low tolerance for boys or the topic of boys.

The one thing that was certain, is that we weren't half as bad as some of the girls in the school....

_According to all our sources, the street's the place to go. Because for the first time in history, it's gonna start raining men-_

Tess and I were singing shrilly along to the lyrics playing from my wireless radio that was propped on my bedside table, both of us dancing along to the song in our pyjamas on top of my bed one afternoon. Everyone else was either in the library or dawdling somewhere in the castle, which meant we had the entire seventh year dormitory to ourselves and we took full advantage of it.

The stormy weather had abated quite a bit that day, which allowed many seventh years to work in the greenhouses on their Herbology projects while the wind and rain had halted temporarily.

Tess and I didn't care much about our Herbology projects, and so had taken it upon ourselves to have an afternoon off from the heavy workload and relax; which meant only one thing.

I was teaching her the iconic dance to probably one of the best songs of all time; _It's Raining Men_ by The Weather Girls.

"No, no Tess, it's pull the left arm back and then twirl on the spot," I clarified, pointing my wand at the wireless so it stopped the song for a moment, while I showed Tess the move again.

"I thought it was pull the arm back while we twirled," she replied, brow crinkled in concentration. I shook my head and she seem to take it on board, tying her blonde hair back and re-doing the move with perfect concentration.

I aimed my wand at the wireless again and the song restarted. Tess and I grinned at each other and began dancing away to the lyrics of the song.

_It's raining men, hallelujah. It's raining men, amen. It's raining men. I'm gonna let myself get, absolutely soaking wet-_

"What on earth?" Jackie exclaimed, astonished from where she stood at the open door that Tess and I hadn't even heard open.

Tess and I turned our attention to Jackie, like two startled deer caught in the proverbial headlights.

_It's raining men, every specimen. Tall, blonde, dark and mean. Rough and tough and strong and mean. And Mother Nature, she's a single woman too. She took on the heavens and she did what she had to do. She got every angel to rearrange the sky so that each and every woman would find the perfect guy-_

The music played on, but Tess and I ignored it as Jackie carefully walked into the dormitory, not quite sure what to make of us.

"Were you guys dancing?" she asked, confusion evident in her tone of voice. She walked over to her bed and picked up the book for which she must have come up here for.

"Yeah, I was teaching her the dance to _It's Raining Men_," I replied as nonchalantly as I could, despite the fact I was quite mortified by the whole situation.

"You mean that dance Muggle children used to do when they were younger. The ridiculous one with the spins and pretending actual men were falling from the skies?"

"It's not ridiculous. I loved that dance as a kid!" I replied, slightly affronted, but calmed down. Jackie and I always did have opposing views to what constituted as fun. "Anyway, Tess an I were talking about boys and we came onto this topic so I said I'd teach her the dance."

"You know, Abby was right about the two of you," Jackie commented, shaking her head, as if she couldn't quite come to terms with Tess and I. "You are worse than those Hufflepuff girls stalking guys. You're as boy crazy as the worst of them, if not on an even higher level."

"We're not that bad!" Tess spoke, miffed. She crossed her arms and pursed her lips as she stared at Jackie.

"Tess, just a few days ago you and Chrissie were stalking some Ravenclaws in the dungeons of the castle," Jackie replied calmly, counting off an invisible list in her head.

"That was just Joshua and Roger!"

"Then there's the gleeful running into the dorm you do on occasion because some boy mentioned you in class-"

"That was only twice that happened!"

"Not to mention you tried to sneak into numerous Quidditch team locker rooms while said teams were getting changed until Oliver Wood put a stop to it."

"Oh come on, don't tell me you wouldn't have tried that too!" Tess cried, pointing her finger at her best friend. Jackie just raised an eyebrow at that.

"And lastly you know the name of every guy in both sixth and seventh year at Hogwarts!" Jackie concluded and Tess sighed, while I tried to hide a wide grin behind my hands, snickering quietly.

Jackie seemed to have caught that and turned her attention on me, adding. "And don't even get me started on you Chrissie."

"Okay so I like the opposite sex a lot. It's not that bad and how come I can't appreciate them? Tess replied, a hand on her hip.

"You know what, I give up. I'm never going to understand it anyway," Jackie spoke, her voice filled with resignation. She shook her head at us and grinned to herself before leaving the dormitory and closing the door behind her. Tess and I shrugged our shoulders and turned the wireless back on to resume our dancing.

***

When I was ten years old I had a terrible crush on a Muggle boy in the village just outside where we lived. His name was David Llyod, he was two years older than me, had mahogany hair so dark it shone almost black in the sunshine and he was impossibly handsome and cool to a childlike mind like my own. I stalked him a whole summer long, played football with him and the other Muggle children (badly too, for I never quite understood the Muggle fascination with it), followed him everytime he went swimming in the sea or to jump off the high cliffs around the town of Falmouth in Cornwall and frequently tried to impress him with my "magic" tricks.

But boys like that were always too cool for someone like me and when he bluntly rejected my attempts at forming a friendship with him; I thought my heart would be crushed forever. It had been my first jaunt into the fickle and heart-wrenching feeling of love and had left a lasting impression on me; to forever be wary of who I gave my heart to. Boys, like that impossibly beautiful feeling that is first love, are full of unexpected surprises, false hopes, feelings of rejection and childlike hope that the next one would be better. It was odd that the memory of that Muggle boy, David Lloyd, and the feeling of not being good enough that Wood had evoked in me after I was so unceremoniously dumped came to me on the morning of the Hogsmeade trip. The very same Hogsmeade trip with Roger Davies that would be our very first outing on a public date and I couldn't understand where this momentary feeling of despair came from, but in true style that was my own, I shrugged off the thought with the cheerfulness of a radiant summer day.

With boys and love you may experience the darkest feelings of rejection, but I was a hopeful person and Roger was the future; and over that I couldn't feel depressed about. I explained as much to the girls when they couldn't understand why I wasn't nervous. I countered with; what was there to be nervous about – besides seeing the look on Wood's face when he sees me having a brilliant time with Roger alone makes the entire thing worthwhile!

It was later on during my date with Roger, wrapped up thickly in my heavy olive winter cloak, assortment of hats, scarves and gloves, chuckling away with Roger over the howl of the wind, that I remembered David Lloyd. Sometimes, particularly when I'm feeling very sentimental or blue, he would pop into my heard with his shiny mahogany mane and grey irises; reminding me that in life you hardly ever get the guy or your heart's desire. But why he was weighing heavily on my soul again, especially after what a good day I was having with Roger Davies was something I couldn't fathom. To top it all off, it was starting to bother me now. My forehead creased with consternation as I tried to puzzle out the strange workings of my inner mind.

"A Knut for your thoughts," Roger commented and his voice caused my head to snap up, startled out of my reverie.

"Sorry?" I replied, confusion evident on my face.

"What you thinking of? You've been very quiet for the last few minutes," he responded and I brought a hand to my forehead, suddenly very embarrassed.

"It's nothing, just an old memory came back to me," I answered him, smiling up at him as my warm breath swirled around like a light mist in the cold air.

"Go on, tell me," he encouraged, his eager smile welcoming. I shivered slightly and moved around on the spot in an attempt to warm my legs from the icy wind.

"I was just remembering a summer when I was a kid, diving off the cliffs in Cornwall, that's all."

"Sounds really nice. Certainly beats this abysmal weather," Roger grinned and I nodded my head enthusiastically at that.

"Tell me about it; I hate the cold!" I cried with feeling, and as if to emphasise the point, my teeth started chattering as another particularly violent gust tore through me.

"You look frozen. Here give me your hands," Roger spoke over the howl and he took my hands in his, peeling off the knitted gloves and wrapping them in his warm large hands.

"Merlin, your hands are warm!" I gasped and he grinned at me.

"Come here," he said and pulled me towards him in an embracing hug, while he ran his hands up and down my upper arms.

I grinned into his chest, my red nose buried in his travelling cloak as I felt myself slowly warming up.

"Do you want to go and get a Butterbeer to warm up?" he asked me and pulled away from me, taking one of my hands in his as we made our way to the Three Broomsticks.

The warm gust of scented air followed by the loud chattering noises assaulted my senses as Roger and I pulled open the doors to the pub and stepped inside. The pub was even more crowded than usual, amongst the students, gathered in groups were some of the Professors and locals, who had decided to brave the harsh weather for company and some Butterbeer.

Roger and I glanced at each other and I saw the smirk growing on his lips as we paused a moment before walking in. It was incredibly crowded and we squeezed our way through the throng to the back where it was not only quieter, but also had more space.

"I wonder why it's so packed in here," I uttered over the din.

"No clue, you wanna grab that table there?" Roger queried, pointing to a table with a few stools against the wall that thankfully people hadn't occupied yet. I sent Roger a brief smile and we made our way over, sitting down close to each other.

Five minutes later with our Butterbeers in hand, Roger and I were sitting very close to each other and his hand was resting on my leg as we spoke quietly to each other. It was incredibly comfortable sitting there with Roger, lightly flirting with him, talking about mundane things and commenting on those around us as if we were in our own little world. He had such a charming and easy manner that made you feel like you'd known him for years and nothing you say could ever offend him. In short, hanging out with Roger was the exact opposite to Wood; here you didn't have to work on every single sentence you uttered and didn't live in the constant fear that he would be offended by what you said. He would occasionally take a stray strand of hair of mine and tuck it behind my ear, which of course made my cheeks grow hot and red and cause me to grin at him. But I felt so at ease with him, I would have no problems spilling my darkest secrets to him, and it was such a strange feeling.

"Hey look, isn't that your friend Tess Bailey?" Roger nodded his head in the direction of the bar, and as I glanced over I did indeed see her chatting animatedly with none other than Joshua Goldstein.

"Oh wow, look they're talking!" I uttered a little shocked, but a smile spread across my face at the sight. She leaned in close, as if to whisper something in Joshua's ear, when he pulled her face toward him and kissed her gently.

"Yay!" I squealed aloud, and when people turned around to see what the commotion was about, I quickly shut up and covered my mouth with my hands, grin evident.

Roger grinned at me and squeezed my hand, seemingly sharing in my joy. Unfortunately both Tess and Joshua seemed to be aware of the commotion too, for they both quickly pulled apart, matching guilty looks on their faces, and they spotted me.

"Oh shit, she's gonna kill me," I whispered, a worried crease on my forehead forming. Sure enough both of them picked up their drinks and came over to us.

"Hey Tess, Joshua. Sorry about that, please don't kill me!" I spoke very quickly, apprehension growing on my face.

Roger seemed to act much cooler in difficult situations, for he smiled at both and spoke easily, "You guys want to sit down?"

"What, is Chrissie not gonna start squealing again if we sit down?" Tess commented and I shot her a guilty look. She grinned back at me and pulled a stool towards her.

"I'm sorry about that Tess," I replied.

"Don't worry about it. Hey did Abby tell you that there's no more 7C events for a while?"

"No why?" I cried out, shocked.

"The castle's security has been tightened so much since Sirius Black broke into the castle that we'd never be able to sneak out of our common rooms, let alone be able to have a party without the teachers noticing," Tess spoke in an undertone, so Joshua and Roger wouldn't hear us. She needn't have bothered anyway, since Roger and Joshua were having a very animated conversation about Quidditch.

"That makes sense. Did she tell you how long that would go on for?"

"Nope," Tess sighed, shaking her head. "I just hope they put them on soon, I love a good party!"

"Speaking of which, have you seen Abby around at all today?" I asked her.

"Yeah I just saw her at the bar a few minutes ago talking to Nathan Reilly," she replied and turned back to Joshua, who was whispering something in her ear.

I turned to Roger and asked him, "You want me to get you a Butterbeer while I'm up at the bar?"

He shook his head, "Nah, I'll just go talk to the lads while you're gone." We both stood up together and I smiled to myself as his hand rested on the small of my back. I walked on up to the bar and searched for Abby and Nathan, but before I could spot them a hand grabbed my arm and spun me around. My eyebrows shot up as I saw Wood standing there with a deep frown etched on his face and a knitted green jumper that suited his chestnut hair.

"Margate, I need to talk to you," he grunted and I just shot him an annoyed look.

"Go away Wood, I'm trying to find Abby and Nathan," I replied harshly and tried to turn my back on him, but he spun me around, face thunderous.

"Look I know you don't wanna talk to me, but I need you to listen," Wood tried again, holding on firmly to my arm.

I glared at him, annoyed he was so much taller than me in that instant and hissed back, "I don't give a shit what you have to say to me and I thought I made myself perfectly clear in the classroom that you and I have nothing more to talk about."

"Merlin's beard Margate, you're so bloody stubborn you can't even realise when someone is trying to warn you."

"That's what this is!" I cried out, suddenly understanding as my eyes grew large. "You're jealous!"

"As if I'm fucking jealous of that nancy boy and you together!" Wood snapped and he let go of my arm in the process, but I was too focussed on Wood to realise.

"Well, then why else are you still here, considering you made your feelings perfectly clear at the Halloween party?" My hand by this point was on my hip and I was shrewdly looking at Wood for any telltale signs that what I had said was true. I had originally just said it to rile Wood up over how he treated me and maybe rub it in about Roger and I being together, but the longer I thought about it, the more I realised it could be true.

"You really can't see that this has nothing to do with you and I and that maybe I just thought you should know who you're so publically gallivanting about with; who's wandering eye where one girl is never enough. I'm just trying to spare you a little public humiliation but you're too thick to see that right now."

"Who are you calling thick?" I seethed, ignoring all he had said to me and instead focussing on the one word. My green irises narrowed to slits as I glared ferociously at him.

"Everything alright Chrissie?" Roger asked and I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of his voice. I took a step back from Wood, only now realising how close I had been standing to him and turned to Roger, with a relieved smile on my face.

"Everything's fine, Wood was just gonna leave," I replied breezily, turning my head in Wood's direction at the last part of the sentence and shooting him a covert filthy look. Wood narrowed his eyes and glanced between Roger and myself, remaining unusually quiet.

"Good," Roger murmured in my ear as he wrapped an arm around me and I smiled a little hesitantly. I had no intention of speaking one more syllable to Wood, so I half turned around to face Roger, who was looking intently at me. He glanced once over his shoulder at Wood with an unreadable expression on his face then pulled me towards him all of a sudden and kissed me. My arms went around his neck and I eagerly kissed him back, enjoying the feel of his lips and the pressure of his fingers on my lower back, forgetting all about Wood who had been standing next to us mere moments ago. When Roger finally pulled away, I stepped back a little dazed and it was only when I looked around that I saw that Wood was no longer standing in the same spot. I grinned up at Roger and he smiled devilishly at me, pulling me towards him for another kiss, which I was more than happy to oblige.

***

_**Calliope's Guide To Hogwarts**_

_Has The Whole School Gone Boy Crazy?_

_This school is a very segregated institute of education; that is very evident in our inter-house rivalry, the feverish Quidditch matches and the general separatism that occurs when you put over a thousand students together in a dilapidated old castle for nine months of the year and expect them to get on. But once in a blue moon, nay once in a bloody millennium something odd happens that seems to bind the students together in a common purpose and goal. Usually this is the aftermath of a great strife or the cause of a catastrophe, but even stranger is when it happens because of neither of these incidents. Maybe something is in the air or our pumpkin juices were spiked by Dumbledore, tired of always telling us to unite; but the whole female population, if not the whole school has gone boy crazy. And there isn't even a dance on! What in Merlin's beard is going on here?_

_See I wouldn't find it unusual if one of my closest friends turned slightly boy mad again or infected one of my other friends, or even spread it to a few more people, but she can't be the reason for the whole school acting so nutty! When you spot a seventh year Ravenclaw, who will remain unnamed for this article (but you know who you are!), someone who is normally a very sensible and studious person, goes completely gaga for a Slytherin just because he raised an eyebrow at her in History of Magic, you know that there's something at work here. So I set about trying to discover the root for the temporary insanity the school seems to be suffering from. _

_The first thought was that maybe the populous of Hogwarts had been influenced by the horrendous bad weather that's even been frightening the Giant Squid away from the surface of the lake. Could that be the origin, that a pure lack of anything better to do has driven the school to such mania? I've heard some crazy stuff happening because of a shift in atmospheric conditions; wild animals have been recorded going slightly loopy. The documented evidence is overwhelming, but at the same time we aren't animals and presuming that humanity has descended to that level again because the students are acting very weird is really taking all the credit away from us. It also doesn't explain why the behaviour is going on, considering over the last few days the weather's been easing off. _

_So if it isn't the weather, I pondered on and it's when I came up with my second theory, a far more likely candidate in my opinion. The root of the problem could be that teenage hormones have gone into overdrive, and left unchecked have caused its hosts to literally go wild. My theory is borrowed in part from a Muggle scientist who first came up with the theory of evolution through natural selection, only my belief is what's happened is the exact opposite. It's almost like de-evolution of human beings from the superior race on this planet to nothing more advanced than your garden variety gnomes. That might be quite a laughable thought, that our hormones have reduced us to basic animal instincts, but what else could explain a group of ten girls stalking boys to such an extent they follow them into the boys' toilets? What's probably even more amusing is the thought that we are no more than bona fide animals stalking around the corridors searching for a mate, the uncurbed emotions leading us to tap into our baser instincts, sniffing each other and marking territory. If I didn't know any better I'd say the whole school has turned into a zoo, but then again that's exactly what's been happening and the girls are doing nothing more than competing against each other for the guys' attentions. _

_Boys in this case have been reduced to being mere objects in this crazy game and the girls in question are acting like consumers at a market, weighing the good and bad of the male specimen, seeing if it meets their requirements. Strangely enough our usual male dominated world has been turned on its head because of this unfamiliar behaviour. I'm starting to worry that the Earth is revolving backwards around the sun, or that time seems to have gone a little loopy, because this is really weird. It's now the female, the girls that hold the power, which is in itself not that unusual considering we are living in a time of equal power between the males and females, but as opposed to a balance, the power seems to have been shifted to the girls. They hold the power and are the ones in control and the boys are nothing more than their pawn. When you spot two Hufflepuff girls fighting over who gets to ask out a boy in their house, it makes you scratch your head even more and ask; Am I the only sane girl in this school? I'll admit to liking the male specimen a lot, a great deal in fact. There's nothing hotter than a toned athletic boy and I will admit to going a little boy crazy myself from time to time, especially when one has found an object to ogle, but I've never been as extreme as some of these girls. One of my closest friends has taken to going boy stalking from time to time, and while it may seem like a bit of fun, she actually believes it will get her the guy. So could it be for her, that the only reason she seems to go a little mental when faced with the opposite sex is because her teenage hormones have caused her to go a little crazy? I bet you ten galleons though, if someone were to ask Professor McGonagall or Professor Snape, they would place the blame squarely on teenage hormones, but even they, I imagine would have some trouble explaining away some of the intensity I've seen. Let's just say, seeing fifth year girls ogle and fantasise about Professor Snape, is enough to send anybody to therapy!_

_So what is it about the male specimen that has the female population of Hogwarts in such a dither? I don't think I will ever understand this phenomenon or the boys themselves, because even if you thought you knew everything there was to know about a bloke and what they think, they turn around and surprise you to such an extent you're left reeling. I once heard a quote many years ago that claimed that men and women are from different planets and the phrase couldn't be truer. Whether it is playing us girls hot and cold, jerking us around or charming our pants off, I could spend another seventeen years running after them and not understand it. I suppose that's what it's all about; the mystery that is the male specimen has us coming back for more._

_Until next time._

_Calliope, 1993. _

***

Two days after the Hogsmeade trip where Wood and I had fought and Roger had kissed me for the first time, I was sitting on my bed with a novel propped up on my knees that I was casually re-reading. It was one of my favourites; a Muggle book named _Pride and Prejudice _and had seemed aptly appropriate when I had begun reading it a few weeks ago. One passage in particular had caught my eye, the letter that Mr. Darcy had sent to Elizabeth explaining everything Wickham had done and I paused for a moment. It reminded me starkly of the argument Wood and I had been having in the Three Broomsticks and everything he had accused Roger of. Was Wood really Mr. Darcy, the nice guy in disguise trying to protect me from someone who could break my heart or was he the Mr. Wickham, feeding me pretty lies to convince me of the other's wickedness? I really couldn't tell who was who anymore. How do you really know, if a boy is one of the good guys or not? You can't take what they say for face value, because most blokes will always have an agenda, whether it's trying to get into your pants or sway you round to their way of thought. And even worse, when so many people have an opinion on one boy, who do you believe? I really wasn't so sure anymore and just like Lizzie, I realised I couldn't tell whether Mr. Darcy was the hero of the story or not.

The door of the girls' dormitory opened then as Abby, Tess and Jackie came walking in and Jackie closed the door behind her. Each girl wore a solemn look on their faces and they sat themselves down on my bed facing me.

"Chrissie, we need to talk to you," Abby began and I looked at her, Jackie and Tess very confused.

"Why, what's up guys?"

"It's about Roger Davies, we're worried about you being with him," Abby spoke tentatively, glancing between Jackie and Tess.

"We're worried you're gonna get hurt by Roger," Jackie added. Tess nodded her head emphatically to this, seemingly not wanting to utter a word.

"Why?" I asked, my face scrunched up in bewilderment.

"It's just how you were with him in the Three Broomsticks. We're worried you're putting your heart on the line too fast after Oliver hurt you and that you're jumping at the first guy that shows an interest in you," Abby replied and I snorted at that.

"I'm sorry about that, but you guys are seriously overreacting!" I chuckled and when I saw that they weren't placated, I put my hand on Abby's and added reassuringly, "I know what I'm doing and I'm not heedlessly jumping into a relationship. What you saw in the Three Broomsticks was me trying to piss Wood off. I know what I'm doing and I promise you I'll be real careful with my feelings." I smiled at the three girls and Tess leaned over and hugged me.

"Good, that's all we wanted to know!" she spoke and I grinned at her. I looked down at the book still lying on my lap and snorted at it. Wood may try and tell me whatever he wanted, but I would trust my heart and my heart was burned by him so how could I trust that what he said would be the best for me. Besides I was having a great time with Roger; he was smart, funny, good looking, made me laugh a lot, put me at ease and proved to be a very good kisser. Why would I throw that so easily away on the spurious words of Oliver Wood, who I didn't even trust.

And the girls were being far too hasty; I wasn't falling for Roger. But then again, I thought, glancing down at _Pride and Prejudice_ lying closed on my lap, I thought about our kiss and how it made my heart race, my insides squirmy, my thoughts all giddy and how my skin tingled wherever he touched me. It was with a shock that I realised that I had been so wrong about how I felt for Roger and that maybe the girls were right after-all.

"Ah, crap..."


	7. Myth Versus Reality

_Chapter 7; Myth Versus Reality_

"Hey, you know I heard the strangest myth about Hogwarts from Nathan Reilly a few days ago," I chirped, standing next to the stands on the Quidditch pitch, though with the ominous dark clouds and gale-force winds I was surprised that Roger Davies, who was standing next to me and also trying to hide from the wind, could even hear me. He leaned in closer, to presumably hear me better and in the process wrapped an arm around my waist. I beamed at the motion, glad that he couldn't see the idiotic grin on my face.

He made a grunting noise in the back of his throat, that I assumed to be an assent to continue and I added.

"Apparently according to Nathan, the position of Defence Against The Dark Arts is cursed and that's why no Professor has lasted more than a year in the job. But the craziest thing is, apparently You-Know-Who cursed the job because he wanted it."

"The first part makes sense, but You-Know-Who? Dunno if I'd believe that Chrissie," Roger murmured in return and for a moment we gazed out at the rain-soaked pitch in front of us.

"Yeah, but you know what they say about myths; that they have a grain of truth in it," I replied a little defensively and Roger chuckled at that.

"I'm not contradicting you, Babes," he responded lightly, and pulled me closer.

"Well I hope it isn't true. I like Lupin as a Professor and I hope he stays. I've never had so much fun in Defence in seven years."

Roger laughed lightly and I felt his chest rumble behind me. "Can you remember Lockhart last year?"

"Oh dear Merlin!" I cried rolling my eyes as the memory of that incompetent teacher came back to me. "Apparently the seventh years last year went on strike towards the end of the year because he didn't teach them properly."

"I wouldn't blame them, they probably all failed their N.E.W.T.s," Roger joked.

"You know this weather is really starting to piss me off!" I cried, completely changing tack as I turned around and surveyed him with my eyes.

"Well it is winter," he remarked wryly and I pursed my lips at him.

"I know that, doesn't mean I have to like the cold and the wind and the rain. I can't take my broom out for a ride anymore because of this blasted weather!" I moaned and Roger chuckled at me lamenting the British weather and its insane obsession with rain.

"Come on Babes, let's bring you indoors and find you something to do, to get rid of your boredom," Roger sympathised. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and guided me back into the warmth and relative dryness of the castle, as I grumbled about the weather the whole way back.

* * *

I was casually perusing through the many volumes in the Defence against The Dark Arts section of the library, trying to distract myself from actually having to do my essay, when Karine suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"You, my dear have been holding out on me!" she declared dramatically and I wavered for a second, trying to decipher if she was mad at me over the whole Roger thing or not.

"Sorry?" I feign stupidity in an effort to give myself more time.

"You have been holding out on me," she tried again, though this time speaking slower. Karine intertwined her arm with mine and then added, "You never told me about you and Roger and I thought I was your friend."

"Oh right, I'm sorry. I didn't tell anyone," I hesitantly replied. "You're not mad are you?"

"Mad?" Karine asked her face scrunched up in confusion. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"I don't know, I thought you liked him," I spoke, still feeling like I was walking on a tight-rope.

"Oh don't worry about that Chrissie, she laughed lightly, grabbed my hand and steered me towards an empty table next to a window where we would be well out of earshot of Madame Pince. "I said that he's hot, not that I was mad after him. I'm not angry at you for getting with him, all it shows is that you and I have the same taste in men!" she grinned. I started to relax a little and grinned at her.

"Oh phew, I was so worried you were going to be upset with me and say that I broke some girls' honour code."

"No sweetie, that's only ex-boyfriends," she laughed and we sat down at the table and put our heads together. "So tell me all about you and him. I want the entire juicy gossip!" she pressed excitedly and I grinned at her eagerness.

"There's not that much to say, we've just been hanging out," I shrugged, not sure what else I was meant to say. I thought that maybe she wanted to know what he was like as a potential boyfriend, so I added on. "He's been so sweet and attentive; I really don't know how to react."

"You mean, unlike you and Oliver?" Karine always had a brilliant knack at knowing exactly what you were thinking.

"Yeah," I added, feeling decidedly uncomfortable with our discussion about me and Wood. "You don't mind me talking about Wood badly, do you?"

"Of course not!" she laughed.

"Well then," I said. "Roger's been the exact opposite to Wood, it's actually kinda hilarious. Whereas Wood couldn't be straight with you for more than two seconds, Roger actually tells me that he likes me. He doesn't give you any bullshit and even better I've only been with Roger for like two weeks and I've gotten more from him in the two weeks than I ever got in the two months that Wood and I were going back and forth!"

"I'm sorry Chrissie," Karine sympathised, placing her hand on top of mine and giving it a squeeze.

"Ah don't be, it's not like you forced Wood to be a commitment-phobic. But I did kinda realise something about Wood and Roger," I replied casually and then paused. "It's like Wood and I were nothing more than a myth and it wasn't until it was over that I realised just how messed up it had been. But Roger on the other hand, it's like he's the reality and Wood is nothing more than a fantasy."

"How do you mean?" Karine asked, now genuinely immersed in what I was saying. Her arm was propped up by her elbow on the table and our books and parchment were sitting next to us completely forgotten. She had even stopped fiddling with her hair, which she seemed to do a lot when she hung out with me.

"I don't know, it's just looking back, it felt like what Wood and I had wasn't real, like I was in some fantasy and the only real thing was after we broke up. Roger on the other hand is real, and what's even funnier about the situation is he was the reputed player in our year."

"You have an odd way of looking at things Chrissie," Karine smiled and then pulled her books towards her. "You know, I really think you should be a writer."

* * *

The icy blast of the late November wind made its way into the interior of Hogwarts castle and through the nasty draught managed to chill me to the bone as I crept through the deserted corridors at night. Or it might have happened that the interior of the castle was actually colder than the outside and Hogwarts was acting as a refrigeration unit. Either way I was cold even in my thickest knitted dress and winter cloak.

"I knew I should've put a heating charm on it first," I whispered to my companion, teeth chattering loudly.

"Come here," Roger urged quietly and I snuck up beside him as he glanced covertly around a corner in the corridor. "I think he's gone again."

By _he_, Roger meant Filch, who had almost caught us twice in the last half hour and had been gaining on us.

"You know for a Ravenclaw, you seem pretty intent on breaking school rules," I uttered quietly to him as we crept down the corridor he had just scouted out.

"We're not all obsessed with getting house points and doing perfect in our exams," he spoke wryly, and then gave me a smirk. "But you already knew that."

I sent him an amused grin and we continued down a corridor on the fifth floor with no particular destination in mind. I enjoyed aimlessly wandering around the castle with Roger, even if I was freezing and a little worried at getting caught by Filch or worse. But Roger had a trump card. Well more like two; his company and a hip flask of Firewhiskey.

Exactly how Roger had so charmingly convinced me to join him on a midnight jaunt around the castle I wasn't quite sure but it definitely had something to do with the Firewhiskey, which we would gulp down to keep us warm. It also had an added bonus of making us both quite tipsy and a bit reckless.

"So what now?" I intoned, leaning into him to catch some of his warmth.

"Well we still have a quarter of this left," Roger spoke, holding up the metallic flask and shaking it so I could hear the contents swirling about inside.

"But where can we hide that Filch won't find us," I pressed and was about to continue when I thought I heard footsteps. I went very quiet and both Roger and I paused for a moment, listening out for Filch and his awful cat.

Roger leaned in close, grabbed my hand and whispered in my ear, "Come with me." We silently crept up the corridor and sped towards the concealed staircase that would take us up to the seventh floor.

"Where are we going?" I urged him, as we ran up the staircase noiselessly.

"Somewhere to hide, so Filch won't catch us," came the reply.

"I'm not hiding in a broom closet because he always checks those!" I whispered back urgently. Roger paused for a moment with a mischievous smile.

"Had a lot of experience with that?"

I swatted his arm and rolled my eyes.

"Probably not half as much as you; now come on before he really does catch us!"

We hurtled down the corridor, until Roger's hand pulled me to a stop and I watched with confusion as his eyes closed and he started darting to and fro in the middle of the hallway.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, but he put up a hand to silence me and an instant later a door appeared on what I thought was solid wall.

"What in-"I began, but I couldn't finish my sentence as Roger dragged me into the dark room and closed the door behind us.

We were standing in a very spacious gloomy room that gave the feeling of immense age. I pulled out my wand, whispered 'Lumos' and gaped, because it looked like the interior of a cathedral dome with every aisles littered with junk and every spare space along the walls cluttered with items, broken furniture and thousands upon thousands of books as far as the eye and my feeble light could see. The immensity of the items stored in the vast room seemed to disappear into the pitch blackness of the room, and through high slanted windows far above my head I could see the moonlight come streaming in. I stumbled backwards over a few broken old trunks that were crumbling beneath the leather and wood holding it together, with the contents spilling out onto the stone floor.

"What is this place?" I uttered astonished and Roger quirked an eyebrow, as if he knew something but didn't want to tell me straight away.

"You don't know?" he inquired and I shook my head, glancing into the gloom. I recognised an old wardrobe from the prank that had been played on Montague last year, but presently turned my attention back to Roger.

"Think about the area we were, was there anything familiar?"

"It was just a section of the seventh floor corridor. Wait a minute, aren't the 7C parties usually held in a room on the seventh floor?"

Roger grinned and nodded his head, "Smart and beautiful."

I blushed, but brushed the comment aside, "But this room looks nothing like that one and where would they have put all this stuff?"

"I'm not quite sure myself that the deal is with this room, but it's the exact same one. It must change itself from time to time. Whenever I needed it, it would look like this," he explained, but it was obvious he didn't know much more about it than I did.

"I never even knew it existed. It's not on any of the old plans of the castle that Jackie and Nathan used to show me."

"Who knows," Roger shrugged and suddenly his demeanour changed, as if he had remembered something. He took a few steps towards me, until his chest almost touched mine and I noticed a certain gleam in his eye that caught my breath. With a light touch of his forefinger he bent my head upwards and abruptly his arms were enclosing me and he was kissing me.

The feeling was intoxicating and heady, as my hands ran though his hair and we stumbled backwards. I kissed him fiercely, matching him kiss for kiss, touch for touch and breath for breath. We hit the wall behind me and my head began to spin. I could definitely get used to doing this a lot with Roger and oh how his touch burned my body like fire! As his hands and mouth done wonderful things to me, I thought it almost felt like a dream. Nothing could be this good, no touch or kiss, but at that moment I didn't care.

Hell, give me fantasy and myth if it's this intoxicating, because I wanted to drown in it.

* * *

"How much further do I have to go?" Roger pressed and I giggled into his ear. The sight must have looked very strange to an observer. I was walking right behind a shuffling Roger Davies, walking on tip toes as my hands covered his eyes, while guiding him with my words to the Gryffindor common room.

"Just a bit further, we're almost there," I chuckled, finding the entire situation hilarious. "You wanted to teach us poker and insisted on seeing the Gryffindor common room."

"I thought you'd just ask me to cover my ears while you said the password," Roger whined on, pouting from being led around the Gryffindor tower and not being able to see.

"What, and reveal the location of our common room?" No way, us Gryffindors are very protective of our secrets!"

I heard Roger sigh audibly, which made me chuckle some more at the hilarity of the situation.

"We're here!" I announced as I led Roger towards the portrait door, which Abby had ran ahead to open for us. I pushed him through and after Abby had closed the portrait door behind us, I pulled my hands away from his eyes.

"Merlin, it's red!" Roger exclaimed, looking around as he let out a low whistle. Abby and I grinned at him as we led him to a sofa near the fireplace, where Tess and Jackie were already slouched on the sofa.

"You know Tess, and this is Jackie," I pointed at Jackie and he raised his hand at her before sitting down next to me.

"Tess, Jackie," Roger nodded at them, sitting up and pulling a pack of cards out of his back pocket. He laid them on the table, pulled them out of the pack and began shuffling them. "Alright ladies, what shall it be first; Draw, Texas Hold-Em or Strip poker?" he asked, a certain glint in his eye.

I raised my eyebrow at that and commented, "Strip poker?"

"Yeah, it's basically a game of poker where instead of losing chips, you-" Roger stalled, seeing the looks on our faces he added. "Never mind, we'll start with simple draw poker."

He finished shuffling and started dealing us our cards as he started explaining the rules. He was a very charming and easy going person, so the girls instantly felt comfortable chatting to him and within an hour we were all sitting around, I was sitting on the floor in between his knees, playing poker and laughing at his absurd sense of humour.

"I really don't know how Callum gets himself into those situations with girls," he grinned and I laughed too. He patted my head affectionately and I threw down my cards, folding because I really wasn't paying enough attention to be gambling my money away.

Oliver chose that moment to walk up to where we were sitting on the sofa with a deep scowl marring his handsome features and I felt Roger bristle. I put a hand onto his leg subconsciously and turned my head to face Wood.

"Davies," Wood commented without emotion, his arms crossed across his chest. I noticed that Roger seemed skinnier than I thought, compared to Wood and that thought discomfited me.

"Wood, what are you doing here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Just wondering what Davies is doing in our Gryffindor common room. Last time I checked he hadn't gone become a traitor and joined Gryffindor," Wood drawled and I glared at him. Roger was becoming very stiff and I noticed he hadn't moved an inch.

I stood up very quickly, hands clenched into fists at my sides as I stared defiantly at Wood. I walked up towards him and we glared at each other for a minute before I finally spoke.

"What the hell are you doing Wood?" I hissed quietly at him.

"Wondering what your lover boy is doing in our common room, since as a Ravenclaw he shouldn't be here!" Wood replied, though he spoke louder than I did so Roger could hear. I heard a distinct shuffle and Roger had gotten up and was standing right behind me. I turned around and saw that his face showed how pissed off he was, for he stared at Wood unblinkingly and barely seemed to notice my presence.

"Wood if you have a problem, we can take this outside and sort it out like proper men," Roger said calmly and I was surprised at how composed he was acting. I turned around and sent him an appreciative smile for being so great at that moment.

"Oh there's no need for that Davies, don't want to give you a chance to get your ass kicked, but you could answer my question; what the hell are you doing in here?"

"I'm spending time with Chrissie and her friends," he growled in reply, wrapping an arm around my waist. "Is that not bloody obvious enough or would you like me to draw you a picture?"

"What the fuck are you doing here; are you trying to get Gryffindor Quidditch secrets or just intruding on other people's privacy?" Wood snapped and I had enough at that moment.

"Just stop it Wood!" I yelled at him and prodded him in the chest. Wood let out a malicious smile and I wanted to slap it away.

"What, so you're fraternising with the enemy now, telling your new little boyfriend all of Gryffindor Quidditch team's secrets since you're such a huge fan!" Wood hissed.

I glared at Wood and decided to be the bigger person in this escalating feud; I pulled at Roger's arm, who was still shooting daggers at Wood, and we walked back to the sofa. The girls seemed to sense what I wanted of them and Abby and Tess immediately stood up and walked over to Wood.

"Okay Oliver, as fun as this concept seemed of you and Roger going all primal on us, I think it's about time you lay off a little," Tess quipped.

Abby stepped towards Wood, put her hand on his arm and hissed something quiet into his ear before Ethan appeared and began drags Wood away by the arm. I watched the entire exchange with a curious glance, until Roger pulled my attention away and demanded a rematch on our poker game.

I didn't know what to make of Wood or his incredibly odd behaviour. A part of me, probably the vain part, liked to think they were fighting over me and Wood was showing his jealous side, but at the same time it didn't fit. Wood seemed just plain angry so it must have been something else.

I desperately wanted to ask Abby or Tess what was going on, but Roger was sitting next to me and he seemed intent on going back to our earlier game. I could understand Roger's insistence on going back to the game; he wanted to bring my attention back to him, but I wanted nothing more than to sit on my bed and try and figure this out.

But I couldn't right now so all I could do was speculate on Wood's erratic behaviour. Merlin knows I'd probably never fully understand Wood and his odd behaviour. It didn't matter anymore anyway.

* * *

"Snap!" I cried exuberantly, my hand smacking loudly on top of a pile of cards that were lying haphazardly on the Ravenclaw House table in the Great Hall on a Monday evening. The sound of my hand resonated through the sparsely populated hall, bouncing off the wall and a few students who were sitting at the Hufflepuff table looked over to see what we were doing. I was blissfully obvious of the attention I was getting of them, or Roger's friends, as I pulled the cards towards me.

This evening was the first time that I was hanging out with Roger and his friends and the evening was going brilliantly for me. Roger's friends, Joshua who I already knew because he was with Tess, Callum, Lloyd and Ali were joking with me all evening and judging by the beaming glances Roger would send my way when he thought I or his friends didn't see; he was extremely pleased how well we were all getting on. Callum was a red-haired boy from Liverpool and a quiet but friendly disposition, Lloyd was a Londoner like Roger and his sister was married to the Thai Magical Ambassador so he would frequently tell us hilarious stories of culture clashes that he and his sister had to endure. The last was a boy named Ali, whose strict Muslim family didn't quite know what to make of him being a wizard, being as they were Muggles and so he had spent hours showing them Exploding Snap. He was my fiercest competitor all evening.

My back was propped up against Roger and he had an arm casually swung over my shoulder, which he would only remove to place another card on the table. I felt so at ease sitting there with Roger and his mates; it seemed to release any built-up stress I had acquired over the day.

"Why we couldn't have sat at the Gryffindor table, I still don't understand," I commented, beginning another round as I shuffled my cards.

"Because Miss Chrissie, there's four Ravenclaws sitting here and only one Gryffindor. My dear you're out-numbered four-to-one," Roger replied charmingly and I pretended to glower at him.

"Ah go easy on her Rog, we like this one!"Lloyd chortled, slapping down a Queen, which I spotted quickly. I knew there was a Queen in my pack, but I let out a disappointed sigh when only a two of clubs landed face first on the table.

"Thank you Lloyd!" I smiled at him and soon quickly turned my attention back to Callum, whose go was next.

"Yeah, you should keep a hold on this one," Callum quipped and then blushed at having said something so brazen. A thought flitted through my head of how he would be perfect for Jackie; if only she would go out with boys. I made a mental note to pester her about that again. A double date with her, Callum, Roger and me would be so much fun.

"Guys, I am sitting here!" I remarked and they all looked sheepishly at me.

"Yeah Roger, how come you're not sticking up for your girl?" Lloyd guffawed and I had to snort at that.

"You should show some gentlemanly behaviour," Ali added and then went back to shrewdly watching all of us as if he were playing a poker game.

"I swear lads, you're gonna dump me and take Chrissie from me," Roger laughed genially and I blushed at the attention.

"Lads please, I'm beating you here. Attention back on the game!" I cried, and it worked in getting the boys to pay attention to the game. I sent Roger a smile when he wasn't looking, feeling content just sitting here with him and his friends. In that moment I was so terribly glad that Roger wasn't Wood, because introducing me to his friends was more than Wood had ever given me in the months that we went to and fro. Roger and I may not have defined what we were yet, but it didn't matter to me right at that moment, because actions spoke far louder than words.

And his were screaming how we were a couple.

* * *

"Psst!" I hissed. "Nathan!"

Nathan sighed, dropped his quill back into the ink well and turned his attention patiently to me.

"Do you know any good myths about Hogwarts?" I asked him quietly for we were currently in the library and Madame Pince hated me enough as it was.

"Hogwarts myths?" he queried, puzzled. "Why do you need those?"

"History of Magic class and an essay I'm doing," I lied quickly, for Nathan didn't know of my alter ego and the story I next article I was thinking of writing about myths.

"Oh well, what you want to know about them?" he asked me quietly, pushing his chair closer to mine at the table.

"Well, you know any good myths that are about Hogwarts?" I questioned and he paused for a moment.

"Well I don't know many, but one of the most common ones the Ravenclaws are aware of is the myth that Rowena invented the system of the moving staircases because she was apparently trying to outrun a pursuer of hers. Then there's the rumour of merpeople living in the Great Lake and you'll have heard the myth of the Chamber of Secrets obviously. Are those enough or do you need more? Because if you do, there's a brilliant book by William Wendelworth on myths and legends in an around Hogwarts."

"No, that's brilliant," I replied happily, tucking a loose strand of hair in behind my ear. I watched with dismay as the vulture herself, Madame Pince descended on us. She ignored Nathan completely, which was typical whenever she spotted me, and screeched at me.

"You will cease and desist with the talking in my library or I will throw you out!"

I smiled innocently, as there was nothing you could do that wouldn't antagonise her further. I did love the library!

* * *

"Tell me why I agreed to the group study session?" I whispered in Abby's ear, who was sitting next to me at the large table our group had commandeered to study for our Christmas exam in History of Magic.

"Because we apparently are meant to get good marks this year?" Abby suggested and I raised an eyebrow at her. The beauty about our friendship was that we felt the exact same way about academics and schoolwork.

"We don't give a crap about good marks. Seriously, who though?" I pressed and Abby sighed, putting down her quill.

"Well you're meant to have moved on from Oliver so you need to show you have no problem with studying in a group where he's present."

"But I have moved on from Wood!"

"Sure you have," Abby's sceptical voice replied and I lightly smacked her arm.

"So I'm not the only one who Margate physically abuses," came the dry remark of the one person who had put me so on edge throughout the entire group study session. I looked across the table at Wood and I rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry Wood, you're the only person who deserves physical violence," I spoke, smiling sweetly at him. The side of his mouth curled upwards, as if he was trying not to smile. "Besides, I didn't know you were being such a pansy about me hitting you on the arm." I leaned over the table, patted his lower arm and added. "But if it was hurting you too much, you should have told me and I would have stopped it. I thought you could handle it!" Wood shot me an annoyed glare and I laughed out loud, sitting back down in my seat as a few heads raised up to see what was so funny.

"What you think you've become the shit since you began your little fling with Roger Davies?" Wood snapped crossly.

"Don't tell me you're feeling left behind or jealous?" I cried in mock shock.

Wood let out an irritated growl and then suddenly changed tack for he smiled slightly at me, "Margate, you still think the world shines out of your ass now you've found someone idiotic enough to put up with you?"

I frowned at that and I was luckily saved having to come up with a response when Ethan called out for the entire group to hear.

"Look at that, they're not wearing the faces of each other anymore, Chrissie's got herself someone new and they're still flirting to no end."

"We're not flirting!" Wood and I shot out at the same time, catching each other's eye at that moment. The group tittered loudly to Ethan's words and Abby even high fived him for the remark.

"Wow they even still speak for each other!" Tess remarked airily and I shot her a dirty look and stuck out my tongue at her for betraying me when she should have been sticking up for me.

"You know, I honestly would have thought we'd be done with Oliver and Chrissie verbally sparring by now," Aiden spoke pensively, bringing a hand up to his jaw as if he were contemplating some deep, philosophical revelation.

"I agree Aiden, you honestly would have thought after the first time they shagged each other senseless, the sparring and flirting would have eased off," Ethan added to the conversation, doing his best scholar impression, which did actually look quite funny.

"Guys!" I cried. "I'm right here!"

"I suppose with sexual tension like that, I wouldn't be stopping it anytime soon," Abby thought aloud and Tess eagerly nodded her head to that.

"I guess some things never change," Ethan said and they all nodded their heads at that.

"What, don't tell me you've tired of limpid Davies already or is he not doing it for you anymore, Margate?" Wood chuckled to himself, obviously pleased for having come up with something to rile me up.

"What, you mean like you?" I asked innocently.

"Ah now Margate, we both know that isn't true or would you rather I tell all the guys about exactly how hot under the collar I got you?" Wood purred, his eyebrows wagging suggestively and I felt my body tingle at the look he was sending my way. I couldn't pull my eyes away from him and I knew the exact same memories were flashing through his brain as they were through mine.

"Okay, let's keep this PG-13; there are kids in the room after all!" Ethan declared loudly and I snapped out of the trance, a look of confusion on my face.

"Sorry mate, just proving a point," Wood replied easily, pulling his eyes away from me and glancing at his best friend sitting next to him.

"Oh and what's that?" I huffed, feeling decidedly out of place at that moment.

"That I was right, you weren't thinking about Roger Davies there," the smug smirk on Wood's face was so evident I glared at him, wanting nothing more than to slap it away. Yep, Wood had brought me back to wishing physical violence on him. But I was even more irritated that he was dead right. I had completely forgotten about Roger and Wood had once again caught me under his spell. It made me angry and I shut up, glaring at his form across from me. Though, he paid me no more attention; he had gotten what he wanted and I had let him once again. I would just have to try harder; I would ignore him and move on, ignore his comments and advancements and show how happy I was with Roger.

It was for this reason that Wood and I weren't good together and I realised something. Wood and I seemed great on paper; we had the amazing chemistry, we both found each other attractive (I mean did you see him topless), we were interested in the same things and he already knew that I was Calliope and complemented me on my articles. Despite how annoyed I was at my friends for pointing it out, the chemistry between Wood and I they had a point.

But the reality was so much different; for while Wood and I looked great together, it was nothing more than a myth, as fictional as any fairytale. It made me quite sad actually, to see something that had so much potential blow up in my face before it could even begin properly, but it had happened. There was no use crying over spilled milk, it was not going to rectify the situation and it wasn't going to make Wood suddenly realise what he had lost and run into my arms. I was a pragmatic person, and even if that did happen, I don't know if I would take him back. He was someone I couldn't trust with my heart anymore and that wasn't going to change.

All that I could do was learn from the entire debacle and in a way out of that humiliation and pain something new and better that blossomed. Roger and I were growing closer with every attempt Wood made to push me away. So maybe while Wood still seems like a beautiful myth, I can't live in a mythical or fairytale world. Roger was the reality and while it may not be perfect, it is real.

* * *

"Christina Margate!" a fourth year Hufflepuff panted as she ran up towards me, causing Abby and me to turn around in the corridor.

"Yeah?" I answered warily, pushing the schoolbag higher up on my shoulder.

"Amelia's looking for you. You're to meet her in her office," she spoke, her ginger ponytail bobbing up and down in impatience.

"Alright," I sighed and turned to continue down the hallway towards the Marble Staircase.

"Oh and she wants you to turn up this time!" she hollered after me, but I rolled my eyes and intertwined my arm with Abby's.

"What's that all about?" she queried me quizzically, with an eyebrow raised up.

"Amelia's after my blood because I didn't hand in my article and it's past the deadline," I grinned at her and she rolled her eyes.

"I thought you were working on it the whole of last week?"

"Yeah," I paused, a sheepish grin forming on my face. "I'd been meaning to finish it for ages!"

"Chrissie!" Abby implored. "So what, you just gonna hide on Amelia now?"

"Well-"

"Christina!" a voice yelled out from behind us and I recognised Amelia's voice instantly.

I yanked Abby's arm and dragged her with me as I sped up and turned a corner, taking the first left.

The sound of thudding footsteps on the flagstones could be heard speeding up behind us and I pulled a disgruntled Abby into a nearby classroom, pulling the door shut.

"Chrissie!" Abby hissed and I shushed her. She slapped my hand away and glowered at me. "Stop being a cowardly ass and own up to Amelia instead of hiding on her!"

"I know!" I replied, resignation evident in my voice.

The door was pulled open and in front of us stood an irate Amelia, her voluminous auburn hair billowing slightly in the draft.

"You are in big trouble!" she spoke, irate and pointed a finger at me.

"Hi Amelia," I answered hesitantly. "Fancy seeing you here!"

"Christina!" she warned, her voice taking on a threatening tone.

"I know. I'm sorry!" I uttered back quickly. "I should've just told you and handed it in."

"I'm two days behind on the deadline now because of you!" she fumed, but I was glad to hear that her voice wasn't as loud as before.

"I'm sorry! I promise I'll have it for you by this evening!"

"Good," she nodded her head and then smiled at Abby before walking back out of the classroom.

"Told you," Abby said smugly, relishing in the fact that she had been right once more.

* * *

The surge coming out of the Quidditch pitch on the Saturday afternoon was tremendous and threatened to pull me under. Abby at my side was pushing and elbowing people to get through and she would occasionally let out an irritated huff. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff match had gone better than expected and Ravenclaw had completely decimated the Hufflepuff opposition. They ended up winning by over two hundred points, thanks to some well executed scores by Roger himself.

Abby and I were having a great laugh watching the match in the Ravenclaw stands with Roger's friends, joking and laughing over the Hufflepuff weak tactics the entire three hours. Abby being ever so impatient wanted to leave as soon as the match was over so as to skip the crush we were currently in, but I had convinced her to wait a bit as I wanted to see Roger and congratulate him myself. His friends had disappeared into the throng and currently I was trying to manoeuvre my best friend towards where the Ravenclaw team locker rooms were.

"Chrissie, can't you go talk to him this evening, I really don't wanna be out much longer in this cold and rain," Abby whined my ear, getting wetter by the moment because of the haze of rain, that hadn't let up all day. Surprisingly I didn't seem to mind the rain and cold that much at that precise moment; I was too focussed on spotting Roger.

By this time we had made it to the Ravenclaw locker rooms and thankfully there were still some of the Ravenclaw team members streaming out of the door. Most ignored us and chatted to each other as they made the slow way towards the castle. A few who might have recognised us or were being polite would utter words such as hello or smile widely at Abby. She of course never once noticed the attention she was given, I realised with an amused grin. The lads would walk up towards the castle, a disappointed beat in their step.

Nigel Bradley, one of the three Ravenclaw Chasers and a friend of Roger came out of the locker rooms and he paused when he spotted me and Abby, huddled next to the wall to protect ourselves from the cold and rain.

"Chrissie?" he called out and I smiled a relieved smile at spotting someone familiar.

"Hey Nigel, brilliant game!" I replied enthusiastically.

"What are you doing here, are you waiting on Roger?" he queried, pulling the hood of his cloak over his head and turning so the wind was in his back.

"Yeah," I replied, shivering slightly from standing outside in the cold for so long.

"I'm sorry, but you already missed him. He left as soon as we finished," Nigel spoke regretfully and I just shrugged.

"Ah its okay, I just wanted to tell him congratulations on the win," I said, hiding my disappointment well.

"Well, come on, I'll walk you two back up to the castle," Nigel spoke, and Abby and I grinned at his gentlemanly behaviour. We walked up to the castle with Nigel in a companionable conversation through the wind and the dreadfully hazy rain.

* * *

"Jackie I need some help," I uttered, sitting cross-legged on my bed in the girls dormitory where only Jackie and I were in the room at that moment.

"Sure, what about?" she spoke, not lifting her head as she wrote her notes on a book she had read for Advanced Transfiguration.

"It's about relationship myths," I answered and she lay down her quill and raised her head, a questioning look on her face.

"Why are you asking me instead of Abby or Tess?" she puzzled, a frown marring her facial features, which were mostly hidden by her sheet of auburn hair.

"Because Abby doesn't do relationships and Tess would be no help."

"Alright hit me," she said, standing up and walking towards my bed, where she sat down next to me. I pulled a pillow towards me and hugged it as I fixed my gaze on Jackie.

"Well it's for the article and I just need some common relationship myths that I can write about."

"Oh God," Jackie paused for a moment, peering over my shoulder at something indiscernible. "Well I'm really not good at this, but there's a few my mum used to say when I was younger. She always said to me not to believe the myth that bad boys can be heroes in disguise. Used to call it a load of nonsense." She glanced away and smiled to herself, as a fond memory washed over her.

"Oh that's a brilliant one; why did I forget about it?" I exclaimed, whacking myself on the head. Jackie smiled at me, but didn't say anything.

"I mean you would have first-hand experience on that subject if everything Tess has ranted for the last month can be taken as true," Jackie reasoned, pausing to tie her long hair up in a ponytail.

"Who are you on about?" I asked confused, my brow wrinkling with mystification.

"Oliver," she stated matter of fact. "Who were you thinking about?"

"Never mind, obviously it's Wood. Tess really seems to be holding it against him," I grinned and Jackie looked at me as if she didn't agree.

"Chrissie, so do you."

"Damn Jackie, why do you have to be so perceptive?" I whined and she smiled reassuringly at me.

"He does seem like the perfect bad boy stereotype and I completely fell for it. The odd thing is he wasn't like the usual bad boy. He wasn't a ladies man, yet at the first sign of commitment he ran for the hills," I uttered bitterly and Jackie squeezed her hand. "Funny that I'm now dating a reputed ladies man and he's actually a great bloke!"

"You know I like Roger, he's a very easy going guy that you can't help but get on with, but you know my feelings on the subject."

"I guess it was too true to believe that all you guys had forgotten that warning a few weeks ago," I grinned and Jackie nodded her head. "So what else have you got?"

"The only other one that springs to mind is the myth that men and women can't be friends without sex getting in the way," Jackie added.

"Oh that's totally true!" I exclaimed. "I mean just look at how mine and Aiden's friendship has panned and all it was, was that he fancied me."

"I guess, maybe there is some truth to all those myths," Jackie mused and I nodded my head. "But Chrissie," she added, her voice serious and her face showing concern. "Please be careful with your heart. I might be wrong with Roger, but I'd rather be wrong than right and have you get hurt."

"I know Jackie and thank you for caring so much," I uttered, touched.

"So where is the guy in question," Jackie asked, changing the topic to something more light-hearted.

"I don't know, I haven't seen him at all today," I replied easily and Jackie gave me a look. "What? It's a Sunday; he's most likely sleeping off the match yesterday. His friends told me that Ravenclaw House was having an after-party in the evening so he's probably got a hangover and exhausted," I chuckled.

"Who would have thought those Ravenclaws could party?" Jackie commented and I chuckled with her.

* * *

_**Calliope's Guide to Hogwarts**_

_Myth versus reality_

_As a young child many of us would have been raised and taught fairytales, whether they were Muggle or magical. I was one of these kids and like everyone else the story of Babbity Rabbit and the Tale of the Three Brothers were ones I was acquainted with and the morality tales they held. They were a staple of our childhood and whether you were from Muggle descent or magical, they all acted as guides on how we should act and live. They weren't very different from the myths that we find in the real world; the Muggle ancient Greeks had plenty about their gods and even in the magical world, the myth of the Origin of Magic and humanity follow on the same strain. But they were always categorised in the same group as the very fairytales we were raised on; they are fiction and should be treated as such. Myth did not have a place in the real world and as soon as we were older it was drilled into our heads, replacing those very fairytales. But I never quite agreed with the adults in so hastily throwing aside those very same myths and fairytales they had drilled into us from a very young age. Should we not stop and re-evaluate myths and maybe consider the thought that they are as relevant as ever in our society as adults. Are myths as valuable as the reality that tries to suppress it? I think so._

_A very common phrase which almost everyone should be familiar with is the saying that every myth contains a grain of truth. Take for example the Muggle myths on the ancient Greek gods. The Muggle ancient Greeks created a myth about the fall of the legendary city of Troy. Though the myth and the stories accompanying them were fictional, it did possess a grain of truth and that was that an ancient city, most likely named Troy was destroyed by the Greeks. Even if everything else of the myth is fictional, this one piece of historical fact we were able to pull from it. _

_The same can be said for a magical myth that every student would be aware of; the myth of Salazar Slytherin and his Chamber of Secrets. Before the events of last year, this legend was nothing more than a myth relegated to the forgotten realms of time. It sounded strange and fantastical and because nearly every single Headmaster of Hogwarts had searched for it; it had become nothing more than fiction. That was before the Chamber was opened and students were being petrified. By the end of the school year, every single student was aware of the exploits of Harry Potter and his friends down in the Chamber and we all realised this myth held a grain of truth. _

_But what about other types of myth? The ones I'm interested in are the myths we face in our relationships; our friends, our family and our boyfriends or girlfriends. We're all aware of some of the most common myths; the myth that guys and girls can't simply be friends with each other without their gender getting in the way and the other common myth that bad boys can be the heroes in disguise. People simply throw those relationship myths aside for being different, and while some may claim that you can lead their lives to it, most just accept myths as fiction. Something worth pondering is that maybe they are said for a reason, that although relationship myths can be seen as false, they help people understand each other. Everyone has their own experiences with these myths and through it their own stories to tell. Some claim vehemently that they've managed to bring a bad boy around and turned him into a nice guy, only to discover that said former bad boy is now boring. Others have argued that all that bad boys do is break your heart and they shouldn't be worth it. I myself have discovered that guys and girls can't simply be friends, without something getting in the way and even if it was never intended our genders still get in the way. I wish I could just simply be friends with my male friends, but at some point one of them is going to fall for the other. It's inevitable and as irritating as these myths are, they are there for a reason._

_The one thing I've discovered though is that there is a very big difference between perception and the reality. We have to be careful that what we perceive to be the truth and real is not a perception. It is one thing to argue that a bad boy can be a hero in disguise if you believe him to be so, but how do you know he's not just screwing you around and what you thought so wholeheartedly was real was nothing more than a perception of your imagination. How do you know that your perception of a relationship is nothing more than a myth?_

_It's always hard when you lay your heart on the line for someone to accept or reject, when you go for the bloke that your friends warned you to stay away from. We all think that we are capable of dealing with whatever consequences are thrown at us, and maybe we are, but what's worth remembering is that we can't have an objective view on the relationship, so it's worth listening to our friends. It's something I learned myself and no-one wants to be left standing there, humiliated because they realised that their view on the relationship was nothing more than a myth. _

_That's the dangerous thing with myths in relationships, how do you know what you have is real or not? At the end it is best to ignore all that you've heard and follow your own heart, because when things do go belly-up at least you can live with the humiliation that at least you tried, than if you listened to spurious relationship myths that you didn't even know if they were true or not._

_Until next time._

_Calliope, 1993._

* * *

There was something peaceful about sitting in the Gryffindor common room alone at night. It was well past one in the morning, as the grandfather clock in corner by the entrance had told me twenty minutes ago and every student was in bed. I was curled on the oversized crimson sofa in front of the stone fireplace, watching as the flames flickered in the hearth. The rain was still pattering against the window panes, which were rattling with the heavy wind, but for once I didn't mind the bad weather. I was warm. There was a fleece blanket strewn over my knees as I sat there in my shorts and Meat Loaf tour of '87 t-shirt, a favourite of my uncle's.

I couldn't sleep and I wasn't quite sure why. It wasn't that my body wasn't tired, because it was as my aching limbs reminded me every few minutes. But it seemed my mind wouldn't settle and I had an overwhelming feeling that I had forgotten something important. For fear that I had missed a homework or article deadline, I had brought my school bag down into the common room and various books and parchments were spread out on the floor. The latest copy of Hogwarts News was resting next to my feet, which I had been absently reading for the last few minutes. A piece on the potential of Ravenclaw to scrape back a victory in their next Quidditch match had interested me, as had Amelia's article on the importance of Hogwarts' ghosts, but I still couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that I was missing something.

I shook my head and leaned forward to switch on my wireless radio that was propped on top of two History of Magic books on the coffee table. The chorus of the song Jessie came blaring out, and I quickly turned the volume down a little so as not to wake up anybody.

"_Jessie, paint your pictures 'bout how it's gonna be…"_

The portrait door opened quietly and I was startled out of my thoughts. My head craned around to look at who could be coming back into the common room so late at night, and how the Fat Lady would let them get away with it, when I saw who it was.

"_By now I should know better, your dreams were never free…"_

My eyebrows raised when I spotted the burly figure of Oliver Wood make his way quietly into the common room, not having spotted me. I wished he could walk past without noticing me, but his head unfortunately went up and his eyes widened.

"_But tell me about our little trailer by the sea; Jessie you could always sell any dream to me."_

I should have known; who else could charm the Fat Lady to not rat him out for being out and about at one in the morning. Our eyes caught each other for a second and it felt like an eternity. I wondered where he had been and a thought raced to the forefront of my consciousness. Could he have found someone else so fast? Why else would he be returning to bed so late at night? But it wasn't my business anymore, hell we weren't even friends and why should I care? I had Roger Davies and he made me happy. Wood was the past and he should be allowed to move on too.

"_Oh, Jessie, how do you always seem to know just when to call?"_

I didn't know whether I should say something, anything, and by the tormented look on his face, neither did he. I saw his mouth open and close twice, but no words came out and I watched this with wonderment. I had never seen Wood look so vulnerable and open before. His entire body language betrayed how unhappy and uncomfortable he felt in his skin and I almost felt pity for him. My eyes searched his for an explanation and for once he seemed to let his defences down, for he showed me such feeling that I didn't know how to react. My mouth opened a little in shock and my forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"_I'll love you in the sunshine; lay you down in the warm white sand. And who knows, maybe this time things'll turn out just the way you planned."_

He dipped his head, breaking eye contact and I marvelled at how his hair glinted a bronzed gold in the firelight, making him look almost angelic and pure. He raised his head, but didn't make eye contact again. A moment later he had left the common room, his supple body moving him silently up the spiral staircase and out of sight.

It was only then that a thought struck me and it felt like the clouds had parted to reveal the most beautiful light imaginable; a glimpse into Wood's soul. What I had seen was so glaringly obvious; it was yearning. But it mystified me even more, because how could Wood be missing me? I shook my head; maybe I really should try and sleep again because I could only have imagined that look. I rested my head against the sofa again and listened to the end of the song.

"_Oh, Jessie, you can always sell any dream to me."_

* * *

It was another Friday night and sufficient time had passed since the whole Sirius Black breaking into Hogwarts incident, which could only mean one thing; another 7C party. Abby and the rest of the 7C committee seemed to take this as a reason for irony and had named the theme of the party "Hurrah Sirius Black Isn't In The Castle Party!" Though their sense of humour left something to be desired, I had to admit it was a brilliant party. Maybe it was because of the long period between the last two parties or the fact that people were finding the prison décor amusing; everyone was in fine spirits. Abby was dancing happily along the upbeat music in the middle of the room, Tess was twirling Jackie around near the corner, the two doing a brilliant impersonation of a waltz and Aiden and Ethan were laughing about something private for the last half hour. I, meanwhile, was wrapped in Roger's arm as I listened to him chatting to everyone that came up to him. As Captain of the Ravenclaw team that had just won their first match less than a week ago and he was the centre of attention.

He was still wearing his Ravenclaw Quidditch shirt and it seemed to attract even more people to him, he would stop talking to me every few minutes just to answer some question asked. The girls in particular were the worst for it; they would come up to him and ask him something banal, batting their eyelashes. I didn't mind the girls, partially because Roger's arm was still slung over my shoulder and secondly because their attempts to garner his attention were just a little too obvious and pathetic.

"Babes, you don't mind if I go over to the lads for a bit?" Roger purred, leaning close to me as he spoke quietly in my ear.

"Of course not," I replied easily and Roger pulled his arm of my shoulder.

"You're a star Chrissie," he murmured, giving me a quick peck on the cheek before he disappeared into the crowd.

The entire gang including the boys, much to my chagrin, had assembled itself on the only free sofa left in the Come-And-Go room. Wood was perched on one arm and I was on the other, and despite the fact we were raised above the rest of the group we didn't make eye contact. I was studiously ignoring him and quite happily so he wasn't occupying my thoughts like you usually did. Wood was more interested in watching the crowd pass us by, no doubt watching the girls as they passed us by. Roger was still talking to his mates, but I didn't mind.

"So where's lover boy?" Wood spoke out of the blue and I blinked first for a few seconds. His attention was back on watching the party, but I could see sense that there was more intent behind that question than he let on.

"Hanging out with his friends, much like I'm doing now," I replied my tone impassive and I went back to fidgeting with my nails.

"You sure about that Margate?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me, which only caused me to frown at him.

"Of course I am, now drop it Wood," I said, sending a quick glance of annoyance his way before returning to my own thoughts. The girls were quietly speaking amongst themselves; they had heard this argument many times before and even Aiden seemed bored by the whole situation, but I supposed having the girl you're into give out about an ex of sorts isn't going to exactly catch your attention.

Strangely enough Ethan seemed to be getting any joy out of our old fight, but then he always did have an odd sense of humour.

"Merlin Chrissie, are you ever gonna go easy on Oliver here?" he joked, a casual grin on his face. It made me sigh.

"Ethan I don't care about Wood, I'm past the whole thing. I'm with Roger now," I eventually said and I glanced at Wood on the other side of the sofa. He confirmed my belief, because he was already lost in his own world.

"Sure," Ethan nodded sceptically. "You just keep on saying that, maybe you'll buy it yourself," he added sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at his behaviour.

"Ah lay off Chrissie, Ethan," Aiden sighed. "We're all pretty tired of the bickering and we're all too exhausted tonight to really put up with it."

"Thank you Aiden," I smiled at him, glad that at least someone was backing me up.

"I mean you too Chrissie, you're fooling no-one," he added and I stuck out my tongue at him. It may have been childish, but it made me feel damn good.

I was roaming around the crowded Come-And-Go room looking for Roger, but not succeeding. I kept bumping into people who wanted to talk to me, and while I usually didn't mind chatting to Karine, Nathan or my fellow Gryffindors, I really just wanted to find Roger and spend some time with him. Even Roger's friends, Lloyd and Callum didn't know where Roger was, or had seen him in over an hour. They kept me company for a while, but I just wanted to find him by that point and I left them at the drinks table.

My forehead creased into a frown as I paused to think where Roger could be; he would've told me if he was going to bed, yet where else could he be? I stalked around the walls of the room, checking the multitude of alcoves and cracks in the wall that seemed to have been designed specifically for retreating couples.

I was about to give up and go to bed, when a flash of blonde hair caught my attention in one of the further alcoves. I grinned to myself, curious to see who the girl was and with whom she was trying to hard to hide from the rest of the party-goers. A mischievous smile crept up onto my face as I inched towards the hidden couple. They turned and my heart skipped a beat as I recognised the hair and the Quidditch shirt. There, trying to hide so hard from me and the rest of the party was Roger Davies and some blonde girl from Hufflepuff; kissing like there was no tomorrow.

My heart jarred heavily in my chest as tears started filling my eyes and only one thought continually kept revolving in my head; _I am humiliated._

_

* * *

_

**A/N's: This is definitely not one of the best chapters I've ever written. Oh the trouble this chappie gave me; first nothing seems to wanna work for me, then I get my phone wiped clear which happened to have half of the notes for this chapter on it, and then I get major writer's block.**

**But it's done now. I hope you like it. You'll also notice, that it's not half as long as my usual chapters. The next few chapters are all gonna be considerably shorter, but the upside of that is that they'll get written quicker. **

**As always please review!!!!**

**Until next time,**

**Agrolass.**

**P.S. If you've any questions, go check out my blog for this story, it should either be in the author notes of the previous chapter or on my author page.**


	8. Mistakes Shape Us

Chapter 8; _Mistakes Shape Us_

I was stunned; rooted to the spot. In fact I was more than stunned, standing there with my jaw hanging open wide and tears rolling gently down my cheeks. I closed my mouth and gulped back a sob.

_How could he do this to me?_

My hands flew to my face and quickly wiped away the tears before someone noticed. I didn't know what I was meant to be doing now; heck I couldn't even remember why I was looking for _him_ in the first place. My body shuddered once more and I turned away, wanting nothing more than to get as far away from the cheating Roger and whatever blonde bimbo he was with. I turned and quickly made my way towards the door, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me.

There stood Abby with the most sorrowful look on her pretty face and I knew instantly, without any words having to be said, that she had seen it too.

"I'm sorry Chrissie," she uttered and I dropped my head. I didn't want her to see me cry over some boy who had just humiliated me so terribly in the midst of a 7C party.

"Chrissie?" she asked and I took a deep breath, sighed and looked back up at my best friend. "You wanna go back to the common room?"

I nodded my head, gratified that she understood and she nodded her head at me.

"I'll make sure no-one bothers you for a while," she added and I squeezed her hand in thanks. Then without another word I left my best friend in the Come-And-Go room and promptly made my quiet exit from the party.

The way back to the Gryffindor common room was a swift one, partly because I ran as fat as I could, and because I didn't pay attention to time; it was an unchanging concept and it held nothing for me at that moment. I darted back the Fat Lady, who was yelling after me what in the devil had gotten into me, running around so late at night and so close to the curfew, but I didn't pay her any heed. With a few quick steps I was in our dormitory where I grabbed my wireless and a Muggle book, ignoring the questioning glances Denise sent me. I darted back down to the common room and chose a comfy chair in a corner where no-one would bother me.

With the Muggle book propped open on my lap and my wireless playing some Muggle song quietly in the background, I was determined to stay here until I had calmed down enough and figured out what I was going to do.

* * *

Abby was the first of my friends to come and check up on me; I somehow knew they wouldn't leave me on my own for very long. I sighed as I pulled my gaze away from some distant object I had been staring at for the last half hour and gazed down at my best friend crouched on the floor next to me.

"Chrissie?" she tried tentatively as she placed a hand on my arm. I gazed at her, not sure what I was meant to say. "You've been sitting here for the last two hours."

"Has it been that long?" I asked her distantly, before looking out of the window on the other side of the common room again. I really couldn't see anything as it was pitch black outside, but it helped to stare at something that didn't change.

I wished it could ease the pain in my heart though.

"Chrissie, it wasn't your fault. He was an asshole and I'm going to kill him for what he did to you!" Abby cried fiercely and I glanced at her, noticing how her eyes shone even darker when she spoke about something she felt strongly about. Knowing Abby, she had the charm and ability to pull it off and get away with it. It was nice to think your friend would get herself into so much trouble, just for your sake.

"You have to just move on Chrissie. I know he hurt you and you really liked him, but he's not worth you crying over," Abby pleaded and I felt her hand move up to my face and wipe away some tears I hadn't even realised I was weeping.

I nodded my head at her, unable to make eye contact. "I know Abby."

"I know it's gotta hurt, but you should dump him immediately and you know it'll probably help make you feel better if you kick him in the balls, because he really does deserve it!"

I smiled up at Abby; she was so caring and sweet, but Abby really didn't know what this felt like. She had never had a boyfriend and never had her heart broken, so while she could tell me what she would do it didn't help me. Abby was always far too pragmatic about situations like this, she didn't understand that sometimes all you needed was just to wallow.

"I know Abby and he probably does deserve it, but can I just be on my own for a bit?" I asked her, and I could tell from the look on her face she really didn't want me to sit here much longer on my own, but she resigned and nodded her head. The girls probably feared I would kill myself or something silly, I thought darkly.

She stood up slowly and bent down to give me a kiss on the forehead before she left me to my own devices and thoughts once more.

* * *

Aiden was the next of my friends to come trooping into the common room in search of me. That one surprised me a little, but I didn't show it. He came and crouched down on the ground much like Abby had as he tried to get eye contact with me.

I noticed he seemed hesitant, almost as if he wasn't quite sure what he should say to me. Frankly I didn't know what to say either, so we sat there for a few minutes, as silent as the dead and as unmoving as them too.

"Well that would've put a crimp in your fun," Aiden said offhandedly and I snorted at that comment. He laughed too and we giggled for a minute at the preposterous thing he just said. But the light mood didn't last and I was soon staring out of the black window again.

"I think you already know only you should decide what to do," he offered and I nodded my head at him, catching his chocolate eyes for a moment.

"Yeah I know. I just wish I didn't have to feel like such a fool about it all. Abby, Tess and Jackie warned me not to lay my heart on the line so quickly after the whole Wood fiasco and I just went and ignored their advice," I mumbled, rubbing my tired eyes with the palms of my hands. "Is it so terrible to hope that Roger and I can move past this little mistake, because I really like him!" I asked him, my eyes pleading for understanding.

He sighed as he leaned forward on the balls of his feet and placed a hand on my arm. There was a light quirk on his face, but his eyes were all serious as he said;

"Abby would kill you if you did. We already had to restrain her as she tried to go after Davies at the party. But it's not wrong to wish for it to be better, or to entertain the thought that you two could make it work. Either way, I will support you no matter what you choose."

"Thank you Aiden," I said with feeling and I realised this was the closest we had been in over a month. I missed him so much and it was only now that I realised how much I relied on Aiden's guidance and counsel.

"Did anybody realise what happened?" I asked him, as a thought struck me of everyone finding out and how humiliating it would be.

"No, I don't think so. We're keeping it quiet and Davies seems to have disappeared, the bastard," Aiden replied and I could detect the malice with which he said Roger's name. I smiled at that.

"You're very sweet Aiden," I said kindly and he shot me a warm smile.

"But let me guess, you wanna be left alone?" he answered my unasked question.

"Yeah. But please tell Abby not to go after Roger; I wanna sort it out on my own. Go and enjoy the 7C party and tell the guys to have fun and not worry about me," I uttered and he nodded slowly at me.

"Okay Chrissie," he replied, standing up and leaving me to my own thoughts again.

* * *

It must have been well past twelve by the time Tess came into the common room. By this point I was expecting my friends to send someone else to come check up on me. She came over in a flourish and plopped herself down on the floor in front of me, her legs wrapped under her. She caught my eyes and I could see the immense amount of guilt swimming in them.

"I'm so sorry Chrissie!" she exclaimed and I sent her a quizzical look.

"Whatever for?" I asked her.

"For going out with Joshua and pushing you onto Roger as a result. I should've just let you make up your own mind about him, instead of constantly going on about how we could double date the whole time."

"Tess," I cried, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. "It's not your fault! I made the choice myself to go out with him, you didn't force anything! If anything, I should've listened to you guys after the last Hogsmeade trip."

"I know, I just feel so bad that I might have had a hand in the whole thing. I should've listened out more, to see if the Hogwarts gossip mill had anything on Roger cheating on girls," Tess sighed, her self deprecating tone growing worse.

"Hey, you can't keep an eye on everyone. In fairness I should've seen it coming," I replied and she nodded her head.

"I will support you no matter what you wanna do, and I'll break up with Joshua if you don't want any connection that that Ravenclaw idiot," Tess said and I chuckled at her.

"That's not necessary Tess, it's sweet but you really don't have to do that. I know how much you like Joshua and I don't want you to break up with him just because his friend cheated on me."

"Okay, but will you tell me if you're fine?" she pressed, her large eyes filled with worry.

"I'm not, but I will be," I answered and she stood up. She gave me a quick hug and left me alone in the common room again, with only my wireless as company.

* * *

Jackie was the next of my friends to come visit me. By this point it was one o clock in the morning and I had slumped into a depressed stupor that I wondered if even she could pull me out of. I just kept wondering if there was anything I could have done differently, anything I should have said or done. But nothing came to me.

"Hey Chrissie," Jackie spoke up and I realised that she had crouched down next to me, wearing that worried smile she only ever used when she was really concerned.

"Do you think I should have seen this coming? I mean he was a ladies man," I uttered, sighing as I rubbed my tired eyes.

"It was a risk, but you took the chance like so many people do with relationships," Jackie said, her words laced with comfort. She stood up and sat down no the arm of my chair as she wrapped an arm around me. "It was your strength and not judging someone based on other's opinions which showed your goodness." Then she made eye contact and held it as she said with feeling, "You gave Roger a chance when no-one else might have. That makes you special and Roger was lucky to have had you. True, he messed it up, but it wasn't your fault!"

"What do I do now?" I asked her, feeling completely lost and hurt.

"I think you already know what you'll do," Jackie smiled at me. She leaned forward and gave me a kiss on the forehead before she stood up. I smiled at her, wondering how Jackie always knew the right things to say.

* * *

The next interruption that came to my senses and thoughts was an unintentional one. By this point it was well past two in the morning and I was surprised my friends hadn't returned to the common room yet; the party couldn't still be in full swing? A few of our fellow seventh year Gryffindors had already made their way, somewhat wearily and stumbling all over the place, back to their dormitories and their beds.

A very inebriated Sally and an accompanying drained Anne Marie who was supporting Sally as she staggered through the common room had already come through close to two in the morning. Sally had waved somewhat haphazardly and Anne Marie had sent me a worn, yet sympathetic smile before she helped poor Sally, who by this point had lost all control of her motor skills up the now-dangerous staircase. Though Sally had tripped and rolled down the staircase once, they had finally disappeared from view and even a few of the seventh year boys had made it through with less of an incident. But I hadn't seen my friends yet, and I began to wonder what was keeping them from their beds and their sleep.

But I would never get a chance to ponder on what they were up to, whether murdering Roger Davies or drinking themselves silly had anything to do with it; because I was intruded on.

Though I did not move my head, for fear of attracting more attention than I wanted, I spotted Abby and Wood of all people walk through the portrait hole. I quickly pulled up my book and slid down a little further in my seat so they would leave me alone, but they were too engrossed in an argument to notice me. That was surprising. I didn't want to deal with anybody, so I began reading my book again after many hours, drowning out their muffled voices in the background. They had not moved away from the portrait hole and I was glad they hadn't made their way over to where I was at the other side of the room.

I was making some progress through the book, though my heart wasn't really in it, when their voices caught my attention again some five minutes later. It was more Wood's booming laugh, so distinctive I could tell it from a noisy crowd that caught my attention and pulled me back into the present.

"Oh come on Abby, that's ironic and hilarious!" Wood chuckled again, with no regard to the sleeping figures upstairs or that others might still be in the common room.

"Oh and how so Oliver?" Abby hissed and I was surprised Wood hadn't noticed the icy edge to her voice as she uttered those words.

"You guys honestly should have seen this coming, considering this is Roger Davies!" he guffawed and I frowned at those words, wishing I wasn't present to hear Wood say those things. I really didn't need to be reminded how much I had been humiliated.

"I mean he fucking went through half of the Ravenclaw seventh years last year. Margate must have been stupid or a Bludger hit her on her head the day she agreed to go out with him!"

"Oliver!" Abby warned, her tone growing more with menace and I could imagine the fierce glare she would be sending his way at this moment.

"Were they even going out?" Wood continued, pausing for a moment. "I mean I remember hearing Davies bragging last week about how he was still a single man to some Hufflepuff girl in the corridor. I'm surprised at Margate for even trusting that bloke."

"That's enough Oliver!" Abby yelled and I jumped in my seat in fright. I was half expecting some annoyed and cranky third year to come racing down the staircase to give out to Abby for yelling so loudly after two in the morning.

I turned my head and glanced over to where Abby and Wood were on the other side of the room. Abby looked fierce, with her curly brunette hair pushed behind her hair as she poked Wood in the chest.

She grabbed his arm sleeve and yelled at him, "Don't you dare talk about Chrissie like that in front of me!" She paused for a moment and I could have sworn she glanced quickly over to where I was hiding in my seat. She took a deep breath and then hissed at him, "You're partly to blame about how Chrissie's doing so badly with the whole thing. You after all ditched her so cruelly a month ago. Chrissie could handle one rejection, but the second one has hit her hard!" She glanced over one more time at me, before she grabbed Wood's sleeve again and starting pulling him out of the common room.

He paused for a moment and his eyes went to where I was, following Abby's gaze and I quickly shrank back and glanced down. I didn't see anymore, but I heard their feet shuffling towards the portrait hole again.

"You can't blame me for what Davies has done to her," Wood objected, his voice low and I could barely make out his words.

"Well you've got a lot to learn-" Abby replied and their conversation was cut short to my ears as the portrait door slammed shut behind them. I would never know how the conversation ended and I really didn't want to know.

What Wood had said hurt a lot to my ego and my heart, but he was right; _I should have seen it coming._

* * *

Oliver Wood came back into the common room sometime after half two in the morning, the exact time I wasn't sure but the grandfather clock in the corner had told me it was past the half hour. The fire had died out and most of the candles in the brackets on the walls had gone out, apart from the ones near me which I had charmed to remain lit. I didn't want his attention on me; what he had said earlier to Abby had hurt more than I expected and I couldn't deal with him at this moment. I just hoped he would go up to bed before he realised I was still down here.

But I never got what I wanted, it seemed, for his untidy mop of light brown hair went up and his eyes told me he had spotted me. He strode over to one of the nearest tables, grabbed a chair by the back and dragged it towards where I sat on my sofa chair. He pulled the chair around and sat down on it, his back slouched forwards as he leaned his weight towards me. I crossed my arms and stared at him, wishing I had decided to go to bed a few hours ago. But what struck me was that Wood didn't wear his usual smirk or self-satisfied smile for knowing he had been correct and I had been oh so wrong. I glanced away and my eyes fell on my wireless, which had been sitting on the hardwood floor for the last few hours. Phil Collins and 'In The Air Tonight' had just come on the air. But I wouldn't get the answer from the radio this time and I needed to know.

"You knew," I uttered hoarsely and I stopped and cleared my throat. I looked up at Wood and continued, "You knew what Roger was like and you tried to warn me a few times; first in the deserted classroom that night and then in the Three Broomsticks, but I wouldn't listen to you. I was so stubborn, I thought you were just jealous of me and wanted to break us up."

Oliver sighed, thinking of how to word himself before he began tentatively, "Guys talk to each other. You couldn't have known all he had done because guys don't rat each other out to girls."

"Oh Merlin! I must look like such a fool!" I cried, dropping my head into my hands as I tried to control my tears and bring my breathing back to normal. It took me a few minutes, but I managed it and then realised I had cried in front of Wood. I couldn't look him in the eyes, so I took to staring at the hardwood floor and observing the kinks in the mahogany wood, rather than the unmoving guy sitting across from me.

"You were just being a girl," he shrugged and I realised he must feel as awkward as I did about this entire conversation.

I glanced up again and said with feeling, "I'm sorry for not listening to you."

"Merlin Margate, he must have done a number on you!" Wood snorted, but his demeanour changed and he was serious once more. "You know what you're gonna do?"

"Yeah," I replied, standing up and brushing some lint of my jeans. I stood and faced Wood awkwardly, not strong enough to make eye contact with him. This whole situation was starting to freak me out a little as Wood had never acted with such caring towards me and I couldn't figure out why. He would get no advantage from consoling me, it would not help him win the Quidditch Cup and yet he still done it. The only other option, and the vain one at that, was that he must have feelings for me, but that couldn't be. He had rejected me before Roger ever came onto the scene, and even after he was cool at best. I couldn't understand it.

"Now's probably not the best time," he uttered as he put his hand on my arm to stop me from leaving. I sent him a questioning glance and I saw a little of his old spark in his brilliant emerald eyes.

"Margate, it's almost three in the morning. The bloke's either hammered out of his head on whatever amount of Firewhiskey he had or fast asleep. You're better of waiting until tomorrow evening," he chuckled and I blushed, realising I had completely forgotten about the time. Wood stood up too and took a step towards me and before I could process what had happened, he had wrapped his arms around me in a hug. I lay my head on his shoulder and tried to keep the tears at bay, but I was failing. I shuddered and he pressed me closer to him. I couldn't understand how, but that act of kindness was exactly what I needed. A moment later he had pulled away and I was standing there, wiping the few stray tears away. I think he knew how much I had appreciated that gesture and without having to say anything back we stood there. I gave him a true smile and he nodded at me; he had understood. I started walking towards the spiral staircase leading to the girls' dormitory, ready to face whatever the next day would bring.

It was beyond cold inside the castle and even though I was wearing two jumpers, a pair or gloves and a scarf the icy chill was still at my bones. I wasn't quite sure how I had made it through the day with such calmness, or even how I had managed to tell Roger to meet me at our usual spot in the old Transfiguration classroom without screaming at him over what he had done to me. I felt strangely calm, walking along the sixth floor in the evening, with the Phil Collins song playing in my head.

_**I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord.**_

The dull footsteps made a deafening noise on the flagstones, but I kept on walking because I was almost there and it was already after eight. I kept my mind blank, for the nothingness was the only way I could keep the tears at bay. Thinking and remembering last night would just bring back the tears and I had already cried enough in the last twenty-four hours.

_**And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord.**_

But I couldn't completely keep my thoughts at bay, and it seemed at times when I was at my most vulnerable and my defences were low, that the memory of James would return. I had done such a good job over the last year of suppressing the memories of my time with him, his words and actions that he only came back to haunt me when I was upset. And true to his essence, the memories of James came back full force; like an oncoming speeding train.

_I was so furious that even though my hands were balled up into fists, they still shook and the only thing that kept me from shattering was the fact I was still walking. I had never quite understood the term seeing red, but I understood now that it never meant seeing actual red, but being so clouded by rage that your vision was blurred. _

"_Chrissie, wait!" James hollered out from behind me, where he was sprinting quickly to keep up with me. I ignored him, for if I turned and acknowledged James we would just be having another screaming match and I didn't want to give him the satisfaction._

_The hurt hadn't set in for what he had done to me yet, that much I was aware of, and while anger kept the pain at bay, I knew it couldn't last._

"_Chrissie, you can't keep running away from me. I told you I was sorry!" I noticed that the pleading in his voice had hardened somewhat into stubbornness and it was that, that finally made me snap._

_I spun around on my heel, glaring furiously at him as I lashed out, "Oh you're sorry that you repeatedly stuck your tongue down Michaela Witcher's throat for the last two months?" I was pointing furiously at his chest and I saw with a grim sense of satisfaction that he was eyeing my index finger with apprehension. I had already hit him over the head with my Transfiguration book and made quite a bump when he had first tried to apologise to me._

"_It wasn't two months!" he retorted obstinately and it was apparent he never got the memo on not arguing back when your girlfriend is really pissed at you. _

"_Oh pray, do tell, how long was it?"I hissed maliciously. I narrowed my eyes at him, my hands on my hips as I observed James squirm under my ferocious gaze. _

"_It's only been the last month," he replied calmly, obviously realising that he wasn't going to get out of this one._

"_Oh and I suppose that makes all the difference! Sure that means I've to forgive you for what you done to me, because it's only a month and sure that doesn't mean anything!"_

"_Christina, you're being stupid now," James replied and I saw that the hardness had returned to his eyes. He didn't look sorry for one minute._

"_What's so stupid about you promising me I'd be the only one, and you disregarding that promise as if it were nothing?" I asked him, my voice finally coming down to normal decibels. I expelled a deep breath and stared at my boyfriend, his black hair shimmering with the flecks of sunshine that would come through the gaps in the columns of the courtyard we were standing in. I never realised that he was actually quite short, standing at the same height as me and his usual good natured face was disfigured by the cold look he was sending my way. We had been together for just over a year, and even though a year was a long time when you're sixteen, there were still so many things we didn't know about each other. I thought I was his only one, the only person he kissed, loved and had slept with in the past year, but now everything stood on thin ice. _

_I wondered if he had ever meant any word he had spoken to me in the last year, if every action had been done because he loved me or for some more ulterior motive. Memories of us during the summer at the beach near my house flashed into my mind, James kissing me in the corridor in between double Charms, spending long nights on the sofa in front of the fireplace and sharing our first night together at his home over Christmas break came flooding back. _

_And that's when the penny dropped and my emotions were finally let free._

_The tears that had been so strangely absent for the last two days, fin ally made their appearance as they rolled down my cheeks. I tried in vain to suppress the shudder that followed but I failed miserably. I turned away so he wouldn't see me cry over him, but James had stepped towards me and before I could protest he had enveloped me in a tight hug. I cried into the arms of my cheating, lying boyfriend, hating him and hating myself even more for what had happened. But his embrace was so warm and comfortable, as it always had been and it took me longer to push him away. I stood there, eyes downcast, remembering catching him and Michaela in the broom closet on that fateful day two days ago. _

"_You could have chosen any girl in this school, but why did it have to be Michaela. You know how much I hate her, and yet you could kiss the girl that made your girlfriend's life hell for all those years. Why her?" I pleaded, my voice cracking and I gulped back another sob. I wrapped my arms around myself and stared at him, though my vision was blurred because of the tears._

"_Chrissie I'm so sorry. You know I love you and only you!" he pleaded in return and I felt my head nodding along._

"_Maybe you do, but you obviously don't love me enough," I replied hoarsely and it was then that I realised he never did love me as much as I loved him. He had been with me for over a year, but he still could not tell me the truth and instead he chose his comfort in the arms of another girl. And I had been foolish enough not to realise. I made a promise to myself that I would never let another boy dupe me so badly as James had done to me, because no matter nice how it was, the pain was never worth it._

I turned a corner and spotted the open door, which meant Roger was already there. I stalled for a moment, unsure of what to do or how to act. _Did I even still want to do this?_ I thought. The cowardly side of me took over, but I forced it down because if I didn't then I would always be a pushover and excuse what Roger had done.

_**Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord. Oh Lord.**_

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes briefly and steeled myself before I walked in, my head held high. Roger was leaning against one of the tables, his feet crossed at the ankles as he stared out the window. His head popped up at the sound of my footsteps and he got up, walking towards me with a smile on his face.

_**Well I was there and I saw what you did, I saw it with my own two eyes.**_

He faltered though when he saw that I didn't return his smile and he stopped in front of me, wearing a frown. I noticed that he shuffled a bit, seemingly unsure on his feet, while I stood as still as a tree.

_**So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you've been**_

"Chrissie, babe, you okay? I thought we were gonna hang out tomorrow night?" Roger asked, looking expectantly at me for answers, but I couldn't do it yet. I took a deep breath and glanced up at his handsome face, his neatly parted brown hair and grey eyes. I wondered how I always managed to get myself into these situations. James had done the same thing to me over a year ago and I had promised myself I would never let it happen again, but here I was; the same situation, the same reason and the same pain. I somehow thought that maybe I would've hardened up to it, but unfortunately I was still the same.

"I saw you kissing some random girl at the 7C party last night and I'm just here to tell you that it's over between us," I spoke calmly and watched as his face went through a myriad of emotions, before settling on disbelief.

"Babe-" he began, taking a step forward as he made a grab for my hand, but I had stepped back and pulled my hand out of his reach.

_**It's all been a pack of lies**_

"No Roger. I won't be made a fool out of like that, so before you try and tell me whatever excuse you're coming up with in your head, let me stop you now. Don't bother," I sighed and paused, dropping my head so he could not see the tears forming in my eyes as I frantically blinked them away. When I had gained some composure over my face I looked up again to see his face was unreadable. I didn't want to be in the same room as him anymore and I was afraid that I would only start crying again, so I turned around. It was over and done with now; I had said what I wanted to, and all there was left to do is curl up in bed and rue over my taste on boys. I began walking towards the open door, and predictably Roger's voice called out and stopped me.

"Chrissie!" he uttered, but I didn't turn around. Instead I let out another shaking breath and walked out of the classroom.

I had ended it with Roger and that was all I could deal with right now. Maybe I would never learn from my mistakes, if James, Wood and Roger were anything to go by, but for now the sting of it would haunt me for a while.

* * *

The last week had been one of the longest and most stressful I've had to endure in a very long time. It was finally a Friday evening again and the only thing I could think of was curling up in my bed with my wireless radio and a book and hide from the rest of the school. I had never realised I was such gossip fodder for the students of Hogwarts before and I wondered dimly at what point people had taken such an interest in my personal life. But I suppose dating two Quidditch captains did that.

Somehow, someone else had seen Roger kiss that other girl and I was greeted Monday morning, in our first class of Charms no less, with the pack of gossip hounds pouncing on me.

"Oh my God Chrissie, I just heard Roger cheated on you at the 7C party on Friday! Georgia and Hestia wouldn't believe me, but I told them that I saw it with my own eyes. You poor thing, you must be humiliated!" the leader Jade Esther cried out, in a nasal voice that one really didn't need to hear at such a high pitch at nine in the morning.

That had been the start of a very bad week.

Suddenly I had gone from a virtual nobody to the biggest gossip story in a few days and what was even stranger was that the population of Hogwarts seemed to think your private life was their property and demanded a public forum. I went through most of Monday listening to various girls tell me how I should have handled the situation and what I should have done so it wouldn't have happened. That was insulting enough and I finally snapped at them on Tuesday and told them to fuck off. Next came the whispers as people stopped coming up to me to tell me their opinions and started whispering it amongst themselves. On Wednesday I noticed that Percy Weasley was being really nice to me and excusing me when he caught me yelling at a bunch of nosey fifth year Hufflepuffs.

"Will you stop prying into my private life for Merlin's beard and just fuck off!" I yelled at the small group of Hufflepuff girls that had congregated around me and were now blocking my way. I glared at them ferociously, tired eyes showing how exhausted I was of the whole thing.

"Christina, there's no need for that!" the familiar voice of Head Boy, Percy Weasley rang out from behind me. I sighed, expecting the worst and turned around, but Percy avoided eye contact with me and instead directed his attention on the twittering girls.

"Girls, get a move on now to class or you'll be late," he commanded imperiously and only when they were gone did he turn his attention on me.

"Christina, you really need to learn to keep your tempter under control more. I understand if you're under stress over the last few days, and the gossip can become a bit much, but try and not yell at students in the corridors. I would just be forced to deduct house points from you and it wouldn't be fair," he spoke calmly and I just gaped at him. He nodded once at me and started walking down the corridor again.

That was by far the most disconcerting thing, for usually he would jump at the chance of taking house points away or giving me detention; it was odd he was now acting so nice. It was quite relaxing not having to fight with Percy over it, but at the same time I couldn't stand the pity he was showering on me.

The girls had been great though. Abby, Tess and Jackie had taken it upon themselves to shield me from as much of the gossip as humanly possible. Though I didn't know it at the time either, another task they had set themselves was to keep Roger away from me. Tess seemed to have made it her own mission to simultaneously instruct Joshua to keep Roger as far away from me as possible and to source out and stop as much of the gossip floating around. She was a complete whizz at it, and her and Abby were fulfilling their roles as friends brilliantly. Jackie on the other hand, chose to help me in a different manner by providing me with plenty of distraction. She and I would spend hours in the library studying and catching up on homework, to the extent that I had actually done most of my Christmas homework early for the first time in my life. She made everything much easier and with her and Nathan, we would sit in the library for hours just doing some reading and chatting quietly and I was immensely grateful to her for it.

So when Friday evening came around, I couldn't be happier that the weekend had finally arrived and I would get some rest. I planned on spending all of Friday evening, the entire Saturday and as much of the Sunday as humanly possible holed up in our dormitory, away from the prying eyes and questions of the student body. Then it would only be another week until Christmas holidays started and I could finally get away from Roger, the student body and this entire mess. That's all I needed, one more week and I would be free.

The concept of running away from your mistakes couldn't seem sweeter to me right now.

* * *

_**Calliope's Guide to Hogwarts**_

_Mistakes shape us_

_As humans our intelligence comes from the fact that we make mistakes and learn from them. Just like some of the earliest humans who put their hand into the fire and realised it burned; it is our mistakes that helps us grow and learn. We spend our lives making mistakes and learning the hard lessons that accompany them, but that doesn't mean that it becomes any easier the more mistakes we make. It doesn't mater if you're eighty years old and have experienced more in life than anyone else, it still hurts like hell when you are proven so terribly wrong. _

_The reason why people abhor mistakes so much is because of the feelings of guilt, regret and shame the act usually inspires. Who wants to go through life relishing the mistakes one makes, if it constantly leaves you feeling like crap? You'd have to be crazy or a masochist to enjoy that yet at the same time we are told that making mistakes is good and shows you're human. Mistakes shape us as human beings, we are told, but it doesn't make the entire thing easier. How are you meant to feel if you've been repeatedly making the same mistake for years, whether it's choosing the same type of boy that's always bad for you or constantly making the wrong friends? What does it say about your intelligence if you're constantly repeating the same mistake so much it looks like you're stuck in a time loop? There's a lot of pressure out there for people not to make the same mistake twice; we are told phrases such as once bitten, twice shy. Yet what about those people that seem to be fifth time bitten, and still not learned to be shy? We are made to feel like fools for not having learned our lessons and not having learned from the mistakes we made._

_Does it make us lesser humans if we cannot even learn this basic lesson? Are we one of those people who constantly put their hand in the fire and never remember how badly it burns?_

_I don't want to be one of those people._

_But try as you might, sometimes you just can't get out of the vicious cycle life puts you in. Try as hard as you might to meet the right guy, to stay away from the assholes, inevitably that nice blokes turns once again into the quintessential bad boy. Sometimes I think we're not meant to end up with our happily ever after. And that's the worst thing with making mistakes. Sometimes you're just not meant to learn them._

_But the thing that gets me the most with mistakes, is that people feel the need to remind you of what you've done. It's almost like they're hoping the more they mention it, the quicker you will learn from the experience. Parents and friends on occasion, on the other hand like to remind you of your past mistakes and misdeeds to satisfy their need to give out to you, with no regard to your own feelings. Yes I know I messed up, and yes I know it won't be the last time, but sometimes it was necessary. Maybe just once in a while a mistake needed to be made so one can learn to move on, so you can learn what was right and what was wrong and even though they're painful they help you in figuring out who you are. _

_For every mistake I make, it teaches me more about myself that I otherwise couldn't have learned always doing the right thing and following on the straight and narrow. _

_But at the same time if you go through life so carefully, making sure to never make any mistakes you miss out on so much. You never learn the hilarious lesson that chocolate and ketchup really don't go together, or not to wake your friends up using a Sonorus Charm. Simply put, it might protect you from the pain in life, but it also causes you to miss out on the joys, the silly aspects and those important life lessons we need to grow as people. Maybe mistakes remind us of our failures, but they also remind us of the joys of life, the pain of losing something precious and the importance of core values such as friendship, love and forgiveness. And at the end of the day they make us human and I would choose them any day over wrapping yourself up in bubble wrap and never enjoying life to the full. Who cares of a little burn, if it reminds you of all that life holds. _

_Until next time._

_Calliope, 1993._

* * *

On Saturday evening, after the sleet had died down and the wind was calming, two boys met in an empty classroom.

Roger was already there, leaning against a table with his hands in his pockets, head bent downward as Oliver walked into the almost deserted classroom. He too had his hands in his pockets, but quickly pulled them out when he spotted Roger and crossed them across his chest. Both boys stared at each other for a minute or two, before Oliver broke the silence and asked gruffly.

"Why am I wasting perfectly good time that I could spend with my mates or working on some Quidditch strategies, talking to you here?"

Roger sighed and pushed himself of the table with his hands so that he stood upright. "Because it seems, if I wanna talk to Chrissie, I have to do it through you nowadays," he replied, disdain evident in his tenor. "How did you manage to convince her friends to go along with this mad scheme? It's not like I'm some stalker and since when do you decide who I can and can't talk to?

Roger was growing more aggravated with every word and he glared at Oliver, who stood only seven feet away from him.

"I guess her friends trust me more than they do at this moment?" Oliver quirked with a vicious smile. He chuckled to himself, before focussing his attention on Roger again.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Roger exclaimed, disbelieving as he similarly crossed his arms across his chest.

"Mate, take it from me. She doesn't wanna see you," Oliver spoke, the determination evident in his voice. He stood there facing Roger with his arms crossed, legs slightly parted and a severe look on his face.

"How the fuck would you know?" You're not even friends with her!" Roger snapped back, with less composure than Oliver.

"Davies, she doesn't wanna see you. You humiliated the girl. I don't have to be friends with her to know that," Oliver warned.

"How would you know? Sure the two of you broke up so why would you give a fuck?"

"Because I made a promise to her best friend and even I know that you're not worth another chance with her. So be the bigger man and walk away, because as long as I'm here I'm not letting you near her," Oliver commanded and Roger could hear the authority in his voice. It spoke volumes for Oliver's character as he could take charge of any situation and no-one would dispute it. Even Roger backed off a little.

"We weren't even going out. How the hell was I supposed to know we were meant to be exclusive?" Roger fumed, aggravated and letting his irritation at the situation shine through.

"Are you actually gonna pull that one Davies?" Oliver spoke stunned, raising his eyebrow at the Ravenclaw. He shifted his weight onto the other foot and continued staring at Roger Davies.

"She and I never agreed to be exclusive," Roger replied defiantly, jutting his chin out in response.

"Did you tell her that or did you just hope she'd pick up on it. Fuck's sake Davies, are you that spineless?" Oliver remarked as the second eyebrow joined the first.

"I never wanted a bloody relationship," Roger grit out, sighing loudly as he clasped the bridge of his nose and leaned against the table behind him.

"You might wanna have told Chrissie that before you led her on got the last month. Just a handy tip there mate," Oliver ground out, sarcasm evident in his voice.

"I wasn't stringing Chrissie along!" Roger snapped back and it was the first time that a flash of real anger could be seen on Roger's face.

"You've some way of showing it," Oliver said, not believing one word.

"Chrissie's a really great girl; you don't find that kind of a girl very often especially one who's so easy going. I mean she is something else!" Roger declared and Oliver and Roger caught each other's eyes for a moment. Both very subtly nodded their heads; it would be the only thing they would agree on that night.

"Yeah, but I didn't cheat on her," Oliver remarked and Roger sighed again.

"That wasn't supposed to happen, but as they say old habits die hard. I don't even know who the girl was," Roger muttered, shaking his head at his own stupidity. He dropped his gaze as he shuffled on his weight, every fibre of his body showing his discomfort.

"You can see why I said that you weren't worth her," Oliver sighed. He didn't want to be there anymore, he had said what he had come to say and the more Roger Davies talked of Christina Margate, the more he wanted to punch him in the face and agree with him at the same time. It was making him uncomfortable and he would rather be working on his tactics for the next Gryffindor match.

"Will you please just tell her I'm really sorry and if she takes me back I'll promise to never do that to her again!" Roger pleaded and Oliver could see that the Ravenclaw meant it.

The two boys stared at each other for a moment and Oliver began fiddling with the sleeve of his robes.

"I'm not promising anything. I'd suggest you just get over it and move on Davies," Oliver said dispassionately. He glanced once more at Roger. Gone was the stubborn and defiant Roger Davies who despised that Oliver Wood could speak to Christina and instead there stood a guilty seventh year full of regret and loss.

He was carrying the cross of his mistake and for a moment Oliver felt sorry for him. He had messed up and all he wanted was atonement and justification for his mistake, yet he would not get it. Oliver uncrossed his arms and walked out the door so he would not have to think more on the subject of mistakes. Hell, he'd made more than enough himself over the last few months. Roger straightened up and stared out of the blackened window, where not even the moon could be seen.

That's the thing with mistakes, you never realise what a mess you made until it's over and as the old saying goes; you don't know what you've got until it's gone. The same can be said for one Roger Davies, who had to learn his lesson the hard way. He came to discover that he had lost something incredibly precious in Christina Margate and it was only when she was truly gone that he felt the keen sting of regret at his mistake.

Mistakes, everyone makes them, but not everyone can live with them.

* * *

**A/N's: So yeah, I hope you like this chapter and as always please leave a review!  
Until next time,  
Agrolass**


	9. The Fight

**This chapter is dedicated to anyone who was unfairly banned from harrypotterfanfiction dot com.**

**This is also dedicated to A Fountain Pen's (ISpeakBraile) **_**Settling The Score. **_**She inspired an entire ship. Gone, but never forgotten. We will miss you Gabby!

* * *

**

_Chapter 9; The Fight_

The window pane felt cold against my cheek as I sat on the window sill in the seventh year girls dormitory, propped up on the wooden window sill, legs pulled up close to my body and a rough fleece blanket strewn over my legs.

The weather looked as ominous outside the window as my mood, the heavy, dark clouds squeezing out whatever little light was left of the day. I hated winter for this very reason; everything always felt so much darker, colder and harsher.

But I only had one more week.

I pulled my head back from the icy glass, feeling the wet of the condensation on the side of my face, but then again those could have been tears. I sighed and wiped my face dry with the sleeve of my woolly jumper and sat up straighter, for my back was starting to protest from the slouching position.

All I had to do was get through this last school week and I would be free for two weeks.

_Just one more week._

_

* * *

_

The girls were surprised how badly I took the whole betrayal by Roger and I had to agree with them. It astounded me too how after everything Wood and my ex James had done to me, a boy could still hurt me so much. But he had and now all I could muster myself to do is sit on this damned cold windowsill listening to Nirvana on my wireless. I had without a doubt become a pathetic excuse for all of girl-kind. I had let down my sex and all I wanted to do was eat chocolate and feel sorry for myself.

_"My girl, my girl don't lie to me. Tell me where did you sleep last night?"_

I dropped my head against the windowpane again, letting the cold condensation seep through my hair as I hummed along. It felt therapeutic, listening to Kurt's pain echo out through the song, even if the song and the group sounded horribly depressing if you listened too long.

"Oh dear sweet Merlin, what is that depressing song?" Abby declared abruptly, as she threw herself on the sill next to me. She picked up my legs and dropped them on her lap all the while keeping a beady eye trained on me. I sighed inwardly and listened to the song as _The Man Who Sold The World_ came on. It was one of my favourites and was fast becoming a fan favourite after the MTV Unplugged show from a few weeks previous.

"It's Nirvana, Abby," I replied tiredly, glancing briefly up at her before focussing my attention on the blackness outside.

"That sounds depressing as hell. Is this what Muggles are listening to?"

"Some of them. It speaks to the disenfranchised youth who are sick of the manufactured pop world designed for them by the major record companies out to make as much money as possible," I replied, sitting up straighter as I turned my full attention on Abby.

"That made no sense to me at all," Abby spoke, the befuddlement evident in her voice. She shook her head and gave me a withering glance and told me I was being melodramatic.

"I think you've had about enough of suicidal songs for today," Abby declared, wrinkling her nose as _Come As You Are_ came on. She deftly leaned over me and flicked off the switch, leaving us in silence.

"So what now?" she asked, addressing me and breaking the silence that had surrounded us.

"I don't know," I exhaled. There was not much I could say anymore, all the words had been spoken, all the curses uttered and all that was left was to move on. But it would not be that easy and Abby knew it.

"Chrissie, you're gonna have to talk about it if it's still bothering you!" Abby began, but she stopped when she heard me snort audibly.

"There's nothing more to say Abby. Everything's been said, we've all given Roger a good bashing and the school have all had a good gossip about it. I just wanna move on, but I can't if you keep harping on about it!" I cried out, exasperated at Abby and myself for still being stuck on this topic. "Just please let it go and let me sulk in peace!" I got up and marched towards the door, my feet echoing loudly off the mahogany floorboards in the silent and empty dorm. I knew I was being melodramatic and I would regret yelling at Abby in an hour or so, but for now I needed my space and as much as I loved my best friend she just couldn't understand.

* * *

The oppressive clouds of the previous day had given way sometime over the night, the heavens had opened up and I was greeted in the morning by a blinding sea of white. I dressed extra warmly because of the snow and thanked my foresightedness for when I walked into Astronomy in the morning, the first thing that hit me was the icy coldness of the classroom.

I was just pulling my fingerless gloves out of my over-stuffed school bag, when to my complete surprise fate decided to play a trick with me. Instead of my usual curly-haired best friend in her usual dour mood first thing in the morning sliding into the seat next to me, a tall, burly and decidedly Scottish boy took her seat instead. I sat up straight and peeped at the boy sitting next to me through my morning hair, not quite believing what I was seeing.

I shook my head quickly, rubbed my eyes with the palm of my hand and peeked over at him again, but alas I hadn't fallen asleep and dreamt all this. Even more strangely, he seemed to be ignoring me for the most part.

What the hell was going on here?

I glanced over to where said best friend just sauntered into the classroom and I sent her a questioning glance, but she shrugged her shoulders in confusion and took the seat next to Nathan at the front.

Pulling the required books out of my bag just to occupy my hands, I sent a sideward gaze at Wood again, but he seemed to be too busy opening his inkwell and sharpening his quill to notice.

He seemed to be behaving normally enough, so I knew he hadn't accidentally been brain damaged in the night. Then again he might have developed amnesia from all those Quidditch injuries or one of his teammates had finally attacked him with a Beater's Bat in the dead of night because he'd gone overboard on the training schedules again. I could so see Fred and George Weasley being driven to random acts of violence by their Captain.

"Oliver, mate, what's the deal?" Ethan called out to Wood while the class waited for Sinstra to appear. Ethan was currently sporting a raised eyebrow and was gesturing to the empty seat at their usual table, looking very much like a lost schoolchild on their very first day.

Wood shook his head, before returning his attention back to the quill he had been sharpening. I tried another tactic instead.

"Wood, what are you doing here?" I spoke, turning in my seat to face him in the process sending him a confused stare.

"I'm trying to get ready for class Margate, what does it look like?" He threw back gruffly, arching an eyebrow in my direction. He presently began ignoring me and focused instead on the homework assignment we had to hand in this morning, checking through it for spelling mistakes.

"Yeah, but since when do you sit here? I do believe Ethan is looking a little lost without you," I pressed on, determined to get a straight answer out of him for once. But I never got the reply for Sinstra just walked into the classroom and the whole class quietened down. I huffed and stared impatiently at Wood, waiting for my answer but he refused to comply. I was about to poke him in his side, thereby breaking my cardinal rule of keeping an emotional distance from all boys, when lo and behold the reason for my new life rules walked late into the classroom.

Sinstra sent him an irritated glance and gestured him to sit down, but I wasn't paying attention to that for my attention was on how Wood had suddenly sat up straighter and stiffened in his seat and how Roger was having the longest staring competition ever with Wood before he sat down next to his friend Lloyd on the other side of the room.

I instantly knew that something had happened between those two and I was determined to reach the bottom of this mystery before class ended, but that was the last interaction I got from Wood for that hour.

Professor Sinstra kept the class busy with calculating the next alignment of all the planets on our solar system that I never got a chance to wrangle the answer out of a stoic Wood. Even if I just wanted help with my maths, which I always needed, he had created a barrier made up of library books between us that would have made it hard pressed for me to get his attention.

By the time class ended I was just relieved that my brain could take a breather when a packed Wood, without even giving me a warning suddenly turned around and said;

"Until tomorrow, Margate."

My head snapped up and I gaped perplexed at the Scot to see if he was messing with me, but I saw no hint of a smile. I nodded my head mutely and he walked out of the class. My feet followed his path and in the corridor I was met with the girls and even though they proceeded to analyse Wood sitting down next to me I was too preoccupied figuring it all out in my head to listen.

And yet as coolly I tried to act about his words to me, my beating heart betrayed how I secretly hoped he would sit next to me again.

* * *

"What was the rate for expansion we need to use to compensate for stellar drift again?' I queried, pulling my head out of the parchment I had been scribbling my Astronomy essay on for the last hour.

Nathan pulled his head out of a book, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and took a second or two to focus on me and process the sentence I had just asked him.

"It should be in those notes I gave you. If not, you'd have to do it out again as I haven't got the calculation on me right now."

"Okay," I responded and began rifling through the stacks of parchment that were littering the sturdy oak table in the library where Nathan and I had set up camp over two hours ago. In that time period, we had managed to make our way through a particularly difficult History of Magic essay due after the Christmas holidays, compile the joint project we were going to take on the next term for Muggle Studies and get into a heated debate over the over-dependence of electricity by Muggles, finish all our outstanding Defence Against the Dark Arts homework and get on top of our study material for the NEWTs.

Nathan and I had been going through the same routine for the last week; every evening we would meet at eight in the library and do our homework together. I didn't know how we had ever come to this arrangement and despite my usual reluctance with regards to schoolwork or academics, I found studying and doing homework with Nathan distracting. It allowed my mind two hours off every evening from thinking, analysing and hurting over Roger, and I secretly believed that's why Nathan had proposed the idea in the first place.

It was also quite refreshing and relaxing to have my schoolwork under control and not have to deal with McGonagall breathing down my neck every day, checking to see if I was doing all my work and coming to me with complaints from other Professors for not having done an ounce of it.

Nathan was a really good study friend; he was calm and quiet, he didn't constantly want to ask me questions and when I spoke to him about things that were on my mind, he didn't make a big deal out of it.

He also didn't mind if when I would occasionally burst into tears, or have to stop because I remembered something painful about Roger. He would just pretend he hadn't seen my tears and wait for me to compose myself before we continued on.

I was infinitely glad for his presence and I would miss him over the Christmas holidays.

This evening ended much like all the others before it; shortly before ten we packed up and I wished him a good night as we parted ways at the entrance of the Library. This evening I stopped though, and called out to the retreating form of Nathan.

"Hey Nathan," I called out and he turned around, a quizzical look on his face. "Thank you."

"For what?" he replied, shifting the books in his hands so they didn't fall.

"For being a good friend," I said simply and he smiled at me. He pulled one hand free and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose again.

"No problem Christina."

"Have a good night," I uttered simply and he nodded back at me.

"Same to you."

With that we parted ways and I made the long trek back up to the Gryffindor common room and my bed.

* * *

Something quite unusual happened on that very same Tuesday evening that I didn't know what to make of. It all started over something seemingly so innocent in the Great hall around dinnertime when Abby's little sister Cassandra came over to ask her sister something private. I'd known Abby for six years now and I'd like to think I've seen every mood she could possibly feel, but when a fight broke out between them; it seemed so different and unlike anything I'd ever seen from her.

This is what happened from my perspective.

"Abby, I'm asking you for a favour. Can't you just stop being selfish for a second and think of me for a moment?" Cassie cried out in frustration, her frizzy brown hair flying all over the place as she swung her head around in animation.

Abby lazily stared at her little sister and snorted under her breath, acting like the true patronising older sister and responded with, "Oh Cass, stop being so bloody melodramatic!"

"Oh that's rich calling me melodramatic coming from the queen of drama at home who always gets her way!" Cassie cried shrilly and I watched as she grew more and more wound up. For a moment there I could see the uncanny resemblance between the two sisters, so different in age and looks, yet with that same unquenchable temper.

"Get over yourself Cass. I'm not hear to meet your whims and frankly you're being a little bitch to me!"

"No I'm not going to get over myself. It's not fair! You've always been the more popular, the more loved and the one who gets away with anything. You break Mum's favourite china and she still forgives you. I've had enough of it because I'm not gonna put up with you. You can be a horrible person!" Cassie heaved for a moment after her outburst, her copper eyes shining with unshed tears and I noticed with a spark of pity and shame how Abby just so easily tossed aside Cassie's feelings. Cassie for the moment hastily wiped a few stray tears away with the back of her hand and glared at the older sister, waiting for a response.

"Oh for fuck's sake Cassie! Stop being so childish and grow up!" Abby retorted without emotion and promptly got up from her seat and marched out of the busy Great Hall, bench scraping against the stone flagged floor as the entire school watched her leave.

I loved my best friend, but I could not understand her cold response. Maybe it was because I was an only child or because their relationship was so unknown to me, but a queasy feeling had settled in the pit of my stomach and it had nothing to do with the shepherd's pie we had earlier on.

A very strong emotion for the younger sister washed over me and I gently pulled Cassie down onto the bench next to me as Jackie and Tess came around to cluster around us.

"Hey Cass," I began my voice soothing and Cassie looked up at me. "You know Abby doesn't mean that. She's just being rash-"

"Don't Chrissie!" Cassie responded, sniffing quietly and she fixed her eyes on me. "You always take Abby's side so there's no point talking about this." She presently rose from her seat and I cried out her name, but she didn't turn around before she ran out of the Great Hall too.

The fight between Abby and her younger sister Cassie made me think. As much as I tried to rationalise the actions and words of my best friend, she had been horrible and even though I hadn't heard the beginning of the conversation, no disagreement should warrant such a telling off in front of the entire school. It painted an entirely ugly shade onto Abby's wonderful character; it made her flawed and human but nasty too.

Cassandra was only a second year; she had been living in the shadow of either one or both of her elder siblings. First there came the universally popular and handsome Jack Graham who could add to his accomplishments a wonderfully warm and kind temper. Then there was Abby herself; incredibly beautiful in her own right, though marred by an imperfect temper that she was able to remedy the majority of the times because of her outgoing personality. It could not be easy for little Cassie, still only twelve, stuck in that awkward pre-pubescent age when her hair was still frizzy and her looks were still plain.

The entire fight left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth and I was infinitely glad for a moment that I was an only child.

* * *

"Abby?" I asked her tentatively, a few hours after her fight with Cassie in the Great Hall. "About that fight with Cassie earlier on?"

"What about it?" she answered, noncommittally, not raising her head from the magazine she was perusing on her bed in the dormitory.

"Don't you think you were a little harsh on Cass?" I tried tentatively, looking at her from my bed next to hers.

"Chrissie, don't-" Abby began, but I interrupted her before she could give me her speech.

"I was just thinking that you were a little mean to Cassie. You should have seen her afterwards; she was really upset about it."

"Just drop it Chrissie. You don't have any siblings so you couldn't possibly know anything about it," Abby responded in a clipped tone and returned to her magazine.

"But-"

"Chrissie, until you have a family like mine I'd just recommend you keep out of it. This is private." Abby looked up at me, her gaze was sharp and clear. I sighed and left her to her magazine, knowing it was fruitless trying to talk to her tonight.

* * *

Charms on a Wednesday afternoon was another class that made me feel uneasy. Not only was it usually a pretty dozy class with barely anything to do, especially with only three days away from our Christmas holidays, but we also shared the class with Ravenclaw. Another class with Roger Davies that made me drag my feet on the walk there and I didn't know whether I wanted him to acknowledge me or not. Then there was the elephant in the room; also known as Wood, who had thrown me completely asunder yesterday in Astronomy. I was infinitely glad that Charms didn't have desks for two people only, but long running desks and benches that arched around the circular room.

Abby, Tess, Jackie and I found a row empty halfway up the back of the room and we made ourselves comfortable. I was finally releasing a breath of air upon spotting that Roger was sitting at the very front and didn't try and catch my eye again. I had just relaxed myself somewhat and was starting to look forward to an hour chatting away to the girls in peace when who had to squeeze his way past us on our row of desks?

Yep, Oliver Wood.

Tess and Jackie quickly stood up to let him squeeze past them and I glared mutinously at them.

"Traitors!" I hissed under my breath to Jackie, who was next to me. She rolled her eyes and I was about to retort when I looked up to see Wood standing very close next to me; the spaces between the nailed down row of desks and bolted benches not being enough to grant anyone decent personal space.

He looked so tall and imposing from where he stood and I grudgingly stood up to let him pass; feeling every nerve on fire as he squeezed past me. My traitorous hormones, who I had decided were as bad as the girls, had to quicken my heartbeat and set my senses on fire because of him. I glared after Wood and to my complete horror and indignation he perched himself downright next to me, forcing Abby to move over a bit so he could claim her previous spot.

Now I was beyond indignant, that Abby had so easily relinquished her spot and forced me to sit next to the idiotic Scot who I was still not talking to.

"Get over it Margate," Wood said, voice devoid of emotion, not even raising his eyes to me.

"But I didn't even say anything!" I replied appalled, my face showing how shocked I was by his comment.

"No, but you didn't have to. I know what you were thinking," he responded and I bit on the inside of my cheek to supress the satisfaction of retorting to that statement.

It was fifteen minutes later while Abby, Tess and Jackie were having a very silent but heated conversation about something they spotted in Diagon Alley months ago, I finally plucked up the courage to ask Wood what had been plaguing me since the beginning of class.

"Why are you sitting here?"

"Margate, you really have to change up your questions once in a while. You're always asking the same thing," he deflected, not taking his eyes away from the doodles he was drawing on the side of his parchment. They were of him flying his broom on the Quidditch field - how typical.

"Look, I don't get why you sat next to me yesterday, but I presume it had something to do with Roger Davies, considering you two were glaring at each other all during class. But today he's sitting at the front and I'm surrounded by the girls; so what gives?"

"What gives Margate, is that I'm trying to draw here, and you're interrupting me," Wood quipped snippily and I let out an irritated sigh.

"Wood, will you for once be bloody straight with me?" I was frustrated beyond belief and it evidently showed in my voice, for the irritating boy in question looked up and appraised me with one of those long gazes of his that I was never able to figure out.

"Not all things are about you Margate," he responded cryptically, and although the answer sounded as callous as the ones he usually gave me, I knew that wasn't his intention this time.

I wasn't giving up though.

"Well this is and you and I both know it!" I responded fiercely and he gazed expressionless at me.

"Margate..." Wood sighed and for a second he looked like he might relent, but unfortunately Flitwick chose this opportunity to reprimand the both of us for talking in his class, while sixty per cent of us, excluding Ravenclaw of course, were chatting away.

Bloody unfair!

I scowled at Flitwick, but pretended to write down some notes, and when I glanced sneakily over at Wood again I saw that he was busy ignoring me and concentrating on his doodles again.

It was five minutes later when something happened again in the form of Wood poking me in the side with the tip of his sharp quill.

"Ouch!" I hissed at him, glaring at him and the quill he was still holding in his right hand.

"How's Abby doing?" he whispered, leaning over slightly so I could hear. I gazed perplexed at him, wondering if I stared at him some more would he make more sense then? He didn't; so I asked him.

"Why don't you ask her yourself, she's sitting right next to you," I whispered back and Wood seemed to take a moment to compose himself, for I could see the vein starting to throb in his temple. It was amusing to watch.

"I mean after the fight she had with her sister in the Great Hall," he explained and I was even more confused, but I thought I had been enough of a bitch to him for the day, so I was civil.

"I don't know. She won't talk to me about it; keeps saying that I don't have a clue because I'm an only child," I elaborated and Wood seemed to accept this, for he nodded his head, deep in thought.

"Yeah, same here," Wood responded and I just kept shooting confused glances in his direction, hoping he would get the message that he really wasn't making any sense today. "I'm an only child too."

"Oh," was my surprised response. My eyebrows, which had raced in the direction of my hairline at his response slowly, came back down to normal as I processed his comment. Wood had never shared anything about his personal life outside of Hogwarts with me.

"I guess we really don't know what it's like," I offered the conversation, knowing that since he had offered something up I should too.

"I didn't even have cousins close to my age, so I was always spoiled rotten by my family and never had to share the attention."

"Now that I can believe, Margate," Wood said wryly, his face twisting into a slight grin. "You're always spoiled!"

"Oy!" I cried out, sending him a withering stare, but not really meaning it.

I paused, as I thought about my family, when a sudden realisation struck me. Despite how much I loved my family and how well we all got on at family functions, there were still quite a lot of fights between us, especially over petty things. I wondered how I hadn't remembered this before, all the Christmas dinners, birthday parties and general functions one inevitably ended up attending. No matter how much we loved one another, we were all prone to such ugly fights, as I had seen between Abby and her little sister Cassie. Maybe we weren't so different after all.

"I wonder why families always fight so bitterly," I mused aloud, not really expecting an answer of Wood, but throwing the question out there into the winds anyway.

"Hell if I know!" Wood grumbled, and I swung my head around to look at him.

"Do you ever realise that every single Christmas dinner always ends up with someone in a screaming match over something petty?"

"I'm usually the one being blamed for them," Wood grumbled and I realised that it bothered him as much as it did Abby.

"It's weird; they're the people bar your friends that you're closest to in the entire world, but heaven help you if you're in the same company for more than an hour!" I exclaimed and Wood appraised me with another of his penetrating gazes.

"Margate, if I knew the answer to that question I'd be the richest bloke around!" Wood snorted for a moment, as if amused by something and then glanced back at me.

I then realised another intriguing thing; Wood and I had had a decent conversation for more than five minutes without yelling each other's heads off. It was a very disconcerting feeling. Wood seemed to realise that too and quickly returned to doodling on his parchment.

That was the last conversation we had for the class; but we had expressed more to each other than in the last month combined. I didn't know where Wood and I were heading, but I knew it would be an uncomfortable ride.

* * *

That evening Tess and I found Cassie Graham sitting alone in the corner of the common room, surrounded by what looked like an enclosure made of books. Cassie had been unusually quiet since her fight with Abby the evening before and Tess and I were worried about her. Abby had refused point blank to apologise to Cassie, so the only way to solve this feud was to go to Cassie herself and try and sort it out.

"Hi Cassie," Tess said brightly as we walked up to her and Cassie slowly raised her head and eyed us warily.

"Can we sit down?" I suggested and she shrugged her shoulders. Tess and I looked at each other and sat down at the table. Upon closer inspection I could see that Cassie hadn't been doing her homework as I had originally thought, but instead she had been doodling absently and the books had been used to deter people from interrupting her.

"If you want to talk to me about Abby, I'm really not in the mood," Cassie spoke up and I sighed, knowing this was going to be difficult to pull off.

Tess suddenly got up, pulled her chair closer to Cassie and sat down on it, pulling her legs up. She gazed earnestly at Cassie and then said.

"Look I get it, Cass. I've an older sister too and she was a nightmare to grow up with." Cassie pulled her head up and gazed at Tess, unsure whether to believe her or not.

"Yeah but yours didn't humiliate you in front of the entire school!"

"No, not at Hogwarts, but she used to all the time in primary school. It got so bad the teachers reported her to my mum for bullying and it made my life hell at home for a while. It also didn't help that my mum was just going through the divorce with my dad, so she couldn't really help me at the time," Tess clarified, her tone neutral as she looked Cassie squarely in the eye.

"What did you do?" Cassie's quiet voice replied, pushing her frizzy hair out of her eyes.

"I learned to stand up for myself and let Jade know that I wasn't a pushover. She realised pretty quickly it was no fun bullying a sister who fought back. We're actually great friends now."

"So what changed?" Cassie inquired and I saw that Tess had managed to pull her out of her shell bit by bit and that she was acting much more like the Cassie that we always knew.

"Look everyone goes through it. It's not fun, but if you ask me siblings aren't meant to live together when they're young. You just learn at some point it's easier to get along than to constantly be fighting. Abby needs to realise that she can't walk all over you and you need to believe you have a valid voice and opinion. Don't let her intimidate you." Cassie nodded her head and smiled at the both of us.

I never realised how hard it must be to have siblings. I always assumed siblings got on pretty well, so the concept that they could hate each other never really crossed my mind.

Cassie seemed placated though and I was glad that she was back to herself. Tess and Cassie had started swapping horror stories growing up with their older sisters and I sat back in my chair and smiled along.

* * *

Considering I had been dreading this last week after what happened with Roger Davies and how he had humiliated me so badly at the last 7C party, I thought I had gotten off pretty easily. Okay, there were the occasional rumours floating around that Roger had told everybody about his relationship with me, which did bother me quite a bit, but in the grand scheme of things it was pretty minor. It most definitely helped that Roger had decided to leave me in peace, for which I was infinitely grateful and since it was already Wednesday evening, I would only have to survive three full days and I would be going home.

It was altogether not too shabby.

I wished, though, that I could as easily turn those feelings for the Ravenclaw off, but I couldn't and as long as I was in this castle, with those stupid rumours floating around that I begged him to stay with me and got up to some rather compromising things in the corridors of the dungeons with him it wasn't going to be an easy ride.

It had helped a lot that I had buried myself in schoolwork and hidden deeply in the library with Nathan, but I really just wanted to be home.

As for whether Roger really did start those rumours; I didn't know. I wished I could believe that it wasn't him, but after he had cheated on me I really could't tell. It hurt that he could not only stomp all over my feelings, but also have the audacity to lie about me to his friends. The only consolation I had was that school was almost over and when we would return from the holidays even I would have forgotten about them.

On that quiet Wednesday evening, coming up to eight pm, Nathan and I had finally decided to call it quits for the night. We had finished all our homework, done the bulk of the homework for the holidays and even I couldn't study any more for the NEWTs. We packed up our bags, slung them over our shoulders and quietly made our way down the hallway. Nathan was being a gentleman and walking me back to my tower, even though he wasn't meant to know where our common room was. It was an amiable silence, littered only with few sentences and observations. But that was how we liked it anyway and we were just making our way up to the Gryffindor tower when I spotted Roger leaning against the wall, only a corner away from the portrait hole.

I let out a sigh, knowing I would have to walk past him to get inside. Nathan stiffened next to me, pushing his books up higher in his arms and we walked towards the portrait hole.

"Chrissie, can I talk to you?" Roger called out, and I stopped before him. I glanced over at Nathan and saw he was wearing a serious expression on his face. He looked over at me, as if asking for permission, but I shook my head lightly and stepped forward. He briefly nodded his head in response.

"I'll see you in class tomorrow." Nathan spoke to me, then turned to look at Roger and added; "Davies," a wary look on his face. I smiled at him and watched him walk away before I turned to face Roger. Somehow I knew this was bound to happen; things had been left so unresolved, but I still wasn't prepared.

"What can I do for you?" I asked him impassionately.

"Look about those stupid rumours floating around school-" Roger began and I visibly stiffened, expression hardening. "I had nothing to do with them, I promise. I didn't tell anybody anything and I just thought you deserved to know it wasn't me."

"Okay," I responded.

"Okay?" Roger repeated, not quite believing I was taking it so easily.

"Yeah," I replied and then laughed a little. In truth, now that he actually stood in front of me and had the courage to come and tell me himself he had nothing to do with it; I knew it was true. "I believe you."

"Oh, thanks," Roger said, a little startled. His face relaxed and he smiled a little at me. "I am sorry for cheating on you, you gotta know that. I'm an ass and you've every right to call me whatever you want, but know that I am sorry and I never meant to hurt you." I saw such honesty in his face that I knew he wasn't lying about that either. He was right, he was an ass but he was well-meaning and I supposed that mattered too.

"I'm gonna go now. I'm tired," I said and he seemed to wake up a little from that and began fidgeting with his hands.

"I'll see you around Chrissie. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too," I responded and walked on, turning the corner and he disappeared from view.

* * *

It was Thursday afternoon and the girls and I were making our way to the first class of the afternoon, Astronomy. While the girls were still discussing animatedly the lunch they had, the hot boys Tess had spotted at the Hufflepuff table, which elicited great indignation from Jackie when she declared that Tess was still going out with Joshua. That ended up in a great debate between Abby and Jackie over fidelity in relationships. Since neither had been in a relationship in a long while, the argument was a moot point and I pulled out of the conversation.

I was more nervous about Astronomy; especially after the talk I had with Roger. While I was happy he hadn't been the cause of those rumours I was a little uneasy if he thought we should be friends now. While I could forgive him for that, I could not be friends with him.

Then there's also the rather uncomfortable Scot, who had decided for the last two classes we shared that he had to sit himself next to me. I didn't know whether he would do it again, and even worse was I didn't know how I felt about it either. We had gotten along somewhat in Charms, but whether that run of good luck would hold out, I wasn't so sure.

We filed in to the classroom and I pulled Abby down next to me at the desk I had chosen behind Tess and Jackie, making sure that if Wood had any ideas of repeating the exercise of the last few days I had him thwarted. She rolled her eyes at me and turned around to talk to the Denise and Sally, who were sitting behind us. I ignored her dramatics and settled comfortably into my seat, poking Tess in the back to get her attention.

"Oy Tess, did you do your homework for Astronomy yet?" I inquired and she quickly turned around in her seat and snorted.

"As if. You know I'm just gonna copy Jackie's stuff the night before!" Tess replied amiably and Jackie turned around at the sound of her name to give out to Tess for not doing her own schoolwork.

Wood, who had been sitting in the corner of the classroom with Ethan and a few of the Gryffindor boys suddenly appeared right next to our desk and stared expectantly at Abby and myself.

Abby turned around and I stopped talking to Tess to see what he wanted, both of us wearing confused glances.

"Abby, I think Ethan wanted to chat to you about some concert in London over the hols," Wood said, his Scottish brogue more pronounced than usual. _How odd_, I thought to myself, wondering what could have caused his Scottishness to come to the fore.

"Oh yeah, the Weird Sisters concert!" Abby exclaimed. "Shit, he said he might be able to get us backstage. Hag on Chrissie, I'm gonna go chat to him." She quickly darted up from her seat and sat down in Wood's old seat in the corner of the classroom. I sighed and watched with resignation as Wood plopped himself down in the seat Abby had just vacated.

"Did Ethan really wanna talk to Abby about the Weird Sisters concert?" I inquired, eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"I don't know. I'm not the one going. They're a bunch of pansies anyway, if you ask me," Wood responded, completely missing my point. It was so like him to skirt around an issue anyway. I sighed, hoping that Abby and Ethan's conversation was going better than my own. Ethan's dad was a concert promoter and we had been trying to score backstage passes to the Weird Sisters concert in London for months. Maybe Abby would have more luck.

Sinstra chose at that moment to walk into class, as usual five minutes late and I knew that Wood was stuck next to me. That resignation turned to annoyance when I saw that Wood had dropped his bag next to a leg of the desk; the little sneak had done it on purpose! I growled under my breath and huffily started taking out my books and parchment, receiving startled and amused glances from both Tess and Wood. It seemed Wood was in a much better mood than I was for he got great enjoyment out of seeing me fume in my seat. He would occasionally poke me in the side with his quill and chuckle away to himself. I for one did not like being the object of amusement for Wood and continued to glare at him.

"You know, you're really taking all the fun out of Astronomy!" I hissed at him, taking my sharpened quill and poking him hard in the side.

"Owww, Margate. Easy with the sharp object there!" Wood replied, using his Quidditch reflexes to pull the quill out of my hand before I was aware of it.

"Now, be a good girl or you won't get this back!" Wood added, taking great delight in treating me like a child, while holding the quill above my reach. How the bloke managed to make it look casual and not arouse the suspicion of Professor Sinstra, I will never know.

"Give it back, Wood!" I hissed back, glaring daggers at the side of his head. He just chuckled on and I kicked him under the desk when no one was looking.

"Have you got PMS or something?" he quipped, a lazy grin spreading over his features and I mutinously turned red, flicking between embarrassment and anger.

"No, I've just got an irritating asshole next to me!" I replied snippily and then proceeded to stare across the room and ignore him. Since the Astronomy classroom had the desks facing each other across a large solar system that had been set up in the middle of the classroom, it made for excellent people watching, but I was interrupted by the angry glares of another person shooting in my direction. They were none other than Roger Davies and all the bristling revenge I had been plotting against Wood vanished in an instant. Wood must have noticed the change wash over me, because his brow furrowed in thought and the grin died on his face.

"It'll get easier, Margate," Wood spoke softly, so quietly that I almost missed his words entirely.

"What?" I asked him, looking into his emerald eyes to determine the words' meaning.

"The whole Davies thing. It'll get easier," he repeated, not quite able to meet my eyes.

"That's what they say," I offered, laughing bitterly. "But you still feel like shit afterwards!"

"Listen Margate," Wood began and I subconsciously turned my body in his direction, giving him my full attention. "I get it. I get that it's battered your confidence; it done the same thing to me."

My eyes widened and I sat in perfect stillness, captured by his words and the honesty in them.

"Yeah?" I spoke softly, seeking some form of justification from him.

"Yeah. The worst thing about it all is when the entire school finds out about your most private moments afterwards. Your ego and confidence takes a real hit with that," Wood muttered and his gaze had dropped to the parchment in front of him. "I get that those bloody rumours about you and Davies are gonna shake you, Margate, but it does get easier!" I didn't know why Wood was talking to me about something that felt so private, and even before I tried to stop myself I was confiding in him.

"I just wish I didn't have to look like such a fool after it all. I think I could handle the looks of pity from everyone after they all found out he cheated on me, but I can't handle the rumours," I responded, my voice filled with dejection.

Margate, did the girls ever tell you about the break-up between Karine and I?" Wood began and my head snapped up at that. Wood, as far as I knew, had never spoken to any of us about Karine and the only information we had gleaned from the incident was from what was knowledgeable around the school.

Wood's good mate, Jason Rotham, also a final year Hufflepuff had been seeing Karine while Wood was going out with her and when Wood found out he was dumped by Karine and she promptly started seeing Jason. From then on Wood refused to talk to either of them and apart from the fight I had accidently walked in on a few months ago, that was the extent of my knowledge.

"Not really. All I was ever told about is that she cheated on you with your mate Jason and they were going out for months afterwards. I know you don't like her anymore and you're not friends with Jason either," I said delicately, wondering how much I could tell him in case he got mad at me, but his facial expression remained the same.

"There's a lot that Hogwarts never found out about. I cornered her the day I found out about it and I asked her to choose me," Wood spoke, his voice filling with bitterness and spite. His eyes flickered up to mine as his weight shifted in my direction. We sat huddled together at the desk, his hands only inches from my own, quills and the class around us forgotten.

"I actually fucking asked her to choose me above Jay. I stood there like a fucking love-sick fool, begging my cheating girlfriend to choose me!" Wood ran a hand through his hair and for a moment I thought he was trying to pull his hair out when the hand flopped back down onto the table.

"I'm sorry," I uttered, unsure if those were the right words to say, or if it would even mean anything now.

"So, yeah, she then proceeded to tell the entire fucking school about that and I'm actually quite surprised you hadn't heard about that lovely piece of gossip. So, not only did I look like a sucker in her eyes, the entire school looked at me like that too."

"I don't think Tess told us on purpose. She probably was trying to protect your feelings," I offered and Wood thought on this a moment before he nodded his head in agreement.

"The girl would do something like that. But my point had been, that I get it and what I was trying to say is chin up. You could have been me!" Wood laughed bitterly and then shook his head. His shoulders slouched down under the weight of his own self-doubt and it made me wonder how I had never seen this when it happened a years and a half ago.

"Thank you," I said simply, and he glanced up at me, his expression confused.

"For what?" he queried, brows knitted together.

"For being you," I smiled at him. This last week the relationship between Wood and I had gone though such a transformation that I didn't know what to make of it. I still didn't know what to make of it, but the Wood that was sitting next to me, sharing a part of his most private thoughts was not the same Wood of the past few months. It was as if I had seen him as nothing more than a shallow pool and upon stepping in it, I suddenly realised how deep it actually was. Wood was the Black Lake in Hogwarts, so calm and peaceful on the surface, but teaming with life and a torrent of emotions underneath.

"Err, right," Wood replied uncomfortably, and began fidgeting with his hands, running them along the back of his neck that made the hair stand out oddly. It looked adorable, but I kept that thought to myself.

"Merlin's beard, Margate, you sure know how to make a bloke squirm in his seat!" Wood snorted and I rolled my eyes at him, choosing not to reply. The Wood from before was hidden once again beneath a layer of bravado and general asshole-type behaviour.

I knew that this was all I could ever hope to get from him; he had returned to his usual role of general nuisance. I instead paid full attention to what Sinstra was teaching in class today and chose to ignore Wood for the rest of the class.

* * *

The conversation Wood had in Astronomy earlier in the day was still reverberating through my brain by the time I had the last class of the day; Muggle Studies. The class was busily writing away on their proposal for the final year Muggle Studies project and since Nathan and I had already completed our proposal and ideas for the project I was left to think. I was quite glad I had nothing to do as Wood's words kept churning and revolving in my mind and I wouldn't have been able to concentrate, even if I tried.

Even now, years after knowing Wood and months of us to-ing and fro-ing I still didn't understand that boy. We hadn't been an item in a couple of months, but any hope of understanding the Scottish enigma more after the failed attempt at a relationship was sorely fleeting. I honestly believed that he revelled in being the mysterious, aloof bloke that had all the girls falling for him. Not that I should care anyway; he and I were over and we certainly weren't friends, but it still bothered me that I couldn't understand him.

Karine on the other hand wasn't that difficult to discern; she was a kind and nice person, far too smart for her own good and equally stunning that eclipsed everyone else in the room, bar maybe Abby. She was friends with everyone apart from Wood and ruled the Ravenclaw seventh years, and despite the fact that they were polar opposites, they should be getting along. But they didn't and the only reason I can see why is because they are exes.

How is it that as soon as you break up, the dynamic of the relationship always ends up turning sour? It's understandable that it could be the cause of some very bitter feelings because of the break-up or because the nature of the relationship has to change; but frankly to me it seems a little overboard. Every friend I spoke to uttered the same thing; they aren't friends with their exes anymore and could never go back to that friendship. Are we that incapable of being civil towards each other, or have people just given up?

I also understand and to a degree I get why Wood won't be friends with Karine, no matter how hard she tries; she cheated on him with one of his mates, and blokes have egos that often take a lot longer to heal than it would for a girl. But at the same time, that happened over a year ago; so shouldn't he have just moved on from it? Frankly his anger towards her didn't make sense to me. My own ex-boyfriend James had cheated on me with a girl I despised and I've forgiven him. True we don't talk to each other, but then I have no ill feelings towards him.

When it comes to the topic of fights and exes, why are the two always synonymous with each other?

I really didn't know.

* * *

I was perpetually glad that the seventh year Gryffindors got a free period for the last two hours of the day. It meant that I could finally have some time to hang out with Aiden, so when I suggested the idea of hanging out in the empty common room and playing Exploding Snap, he was very keen on it.  
We left Jackie and a very reluctant Tess in the library and made ourselves comfortable in front of the fire of a very quiet and empty Gryffindor common room.

Ten minutes later we were propped up on pillows, pulled down from the surrounding sofas, bags had been carelessly discarded somewhere in the vicinity, my wireless radio was standing on a nearby chair and Aiden had begun shuffling the cards needed for Exploding Snap.

"So, are we throwing money into this game or not?" Aiden enquired, eyes twinkling mischievously as he went through the cards one last time to make sure they were properly shuffled.

"What, against you?" I snorted, propping myself up on one elbow and eyed him disbelievingly. "I know for a fact that right now you're trying to think of a way of either cheating of swindling me out of far too much money." I retorted and Aiden grinned at me, not even trying to conceal his guilty thoughts. "Besides, I'm broke."

"Ah, well that's no use," he replied flatly, dividing the cards up into two stacks and handing one to me. I quickly picked up the cards to make sure he didn't get a chance to peek and with the other hand pulled the leg of the chair with the wireless sitting on it closer to us. A good song had just come on, so I flicked my wand and pushed up the volume.

"Right, enough fiddling with the radio. Deal," Aiden said briskly and I rolled my eyes at him. He was going into full-on gambling mode and was of no use to anyone until he calmed down again. I threw the first card down and watched as Aiden done the same. We sat like that in silence for the first few minutes, only occasionally letting out a shriek if one of us got a pair, or letting out a groan when the other got the pile of cards. Another ten minutes later and I was winning by a mile with Aiden down to only a handful of cards. I was grinning gleefully at him and he was in a sour mood.

Aiden did not take losing very well; it was one of the reasons we were such good friends and I realised how much I missed just messing around with Aiden, doing nothing in particular but having great fun in the process.

When _American Pie_ came on the radio, I started bobbing my head along to the beat. It was one of my favourite songs of all time and I began dropping cards to the melody, singing sporadically along to the lyrics.

"Oh God, have I lost Chrissie to another Muggle song?" Aiden exclaimed to no one in particular and I stuck out my tongue at him.

"_American Pie_ is not just another Muggle song; it's a classic deeply embedded in the Muggle pop culture of the seventies and don't act so shocked. I know for a fact that you really like this song too!" I added, wagging my finger at him.

He laughed aloud and assented his head. "Of that you are right, but you always know how to take it overboard." But Aiden had already lost me, for I began singing along loudly to the lyrics.

"_And there we all were in one place, a generation lost in space with no time left to start again,_" I sang aloud, not caring that Aiden was giving me the strangest looks. I was in a supremely good mood and nothing was going to stop me from singing along.

"_Come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick_," I continued on and to my delight Aiden finally relented and finished the lyric.

"_Jack flash sat on a candlestick, because fire is the Devil's only friend,_" he sang on, his voice slightly off key, but I would never say anything since I wasn't the best singer either.

"_Oh and as I watched him on the stage, my hands were clenched in fists of rage-"_ I sung, balling my own hand into a fist for extra emphasis, which got a raised eyebrow from Aiden.

And then the two of us continued on, "_No angel born in Hell could break that Satan's spell."_ I sat up straight and raised one hand into the air, playing out the lyrics, wearing a serious expression.

"_And as the flames climbed high into the night to light the sacrificial rite I saw Satan laughing with delight, the day the music died."_ It was at that unfortunate moment that a group of first years stepped in through the portrait hole and took one look at Aiden and I, sitting on the floor next to the fireplace, blasting loud Muggle music and singing at the top of our lungs while acting out the lyrics to the song. They eyed each other warily and quickly scampered back out the way they came, banging the portrait hole so hard behind them we could hear the Fat Lady's protests.

I glanced over at Aiden and the two of us burst out laughing at the same time at the absurdity of it all. I fell onto the floor, clutching my sides from laughter and Aiden was barely keeping himself propped up.

After a few minutes we came to again, wiping the stray tears away from our eyes and trying to repress the grins on our faces as our cheeks were beginning to hurt. Aiden was clutching his side, which had developed a stitch and I wiped away the last of the tears with the back of my hand.

"What is Satan anyway?" Aiden inquired after a minute as the song came to a slow and steady conclusion.

"Merlin if I know," I shrugged grinning at him. We looked down and saw that our cards had exploded sometime over the last ten minutes and I wondered how we hadn't heard. Aiden shrugged at me and we began tidying up the mess, letting the last chords of the song float through the empty common room.

* * *

The fire was crackling loudly as sparks erupted from the burning wood in the hearth, sending bright flashes of light across my vision. I was currently perched at the Ravenclaw house tables in the Great Hall because they were closest to the large hearths. Karine was sitting next to me, Indian-style, her posture mimicking my own and we were in the middle of sharing funny stories of events that happened at Hogwarts over the week.

I pulled my eyes away from the fire and looked back at Karine as she began telling me all about the idiocy of some first year Slytherins she had overheard while patrolling in the dungeons on Monday.

"I cannot believe that they would honestly be so idiotic!" she exclaimed, voice awed with disbelief. She let out another giggle and shook her head so that her thick mahogany hair came loose from behind her ear.

"Oh I could tell you stories about the Slytherins until the end of time. But you wouldn't believe what Percy has done this time!" I cried and Karine sat up straighter, eager to hear more of our bumbling Head Boy, whose self-importance was always a source of amusement for the school.

"There really is nothing more amusing than watching our oh-so-competent and humble Head boy Percy being slagged mercilessly by Fred and George, who are two years younger than him!" I said voice filled with mirth as I remembered a particularly fond memory.

"Did you hear them give him a public ridiculing over telling on them to their mother a few weeks ago?" I asked Karine and she shook her head, confirming she hadn't heard. "Oh it was beyond priceless. I've never seen a seventh year being reduced to speechlessness by a younger student!"

"Well you wouldn't believe what Stacey and Gordon yelled at each other in the Ravenclaw common room a few days ago," Karine spoke, referring to Ravenclaw and probably Hogwarts' most infamous warring couple, who were also in seventh year with us.

"Ooh, what happened?" I asked, eyes widening in excitement.

"He actually accused her in front of the entire house no less, of sleeping with his younger brother!" Karine said, and smiled with satisfaction as my jaw dropped and I took in this piece of gossip.

"No way! But he's like fifteen!"

"I know," Karine remarked and then leaned towards me, her voice dropping lower. "But I have it on good authority that he wasn't that far off with his claim." I sat there in stunned silence and processed this juicy piece of gossip. How had Tess not told me this?

"It really makes you wonder about relationships though," I commented and Karine nodded her head sagely to this. I paused and once more gazed into the fire, caught by the crackling and popping of the wood burning in the hearth.

"Tell me, is there actually a functional relationship in Hogwarts, or is that just a figment of our imagination?" I asked Karine and she paused for a moment before shrugging her shoulders.

"Merlin if I know," she replied passively, and then added. "I mean look at my relationships; they weren't exactly successful!"

I nodded my head and started chuckling to myself. "If you think yours were bad, just have a look at my last three relationships. I went from the fuckwit cheating James, to Wood and then to Roger Davies, who also turned out to be a cheating fuckwit!" I snorted some more, laughing at my perverse taste in blokes.

"Yeah you really didn't have a lot of success there," Karine offered, a smile gracing her features, as if she was trying not to laugh too.

"I mean Wood alone should be enough to send me to therapy for a while. You know, I still can't understand that boy!"

"I got that when I was with Oliver too," Karine replied pensively and I looked back up at her and remembered suddenly that Karine and I shared more than a taste in gossip and the frivolities of Hogwarts; we shared an ex.

"Tell me, was he always so hot and cold with you when you were going out with him?"

Karine paused for a minute and I honestly believed that she wouldn't answer my question, when she finally replied.

"He was always obsessed with Quidditch when we were going out. I don't know," Karine paused again, contemplating some more. "I suppose it was different for us because I really don't get the sport, while you do. Strange, that it didn't work out better for you guys, considering you're both obsessed with it."

"I suppose it is odd, but then again you need more than a love for a sport, as I found out the hard way." I laughed bitterly again, this time at the strangeness that was Wood and I. It felt freeing talking to Karine about Wood, as she could understand where I was coming from more so than the girls ever could.

"But that's not the most confusing part of the whole Wood saga," I commented and Karine looked at me, her interest piqued. "He's being really nice to me these last couple of weeks and I really don't know what to make of it."

"Yeah?" Karine asked, encouraging me to tell her more. I wasn't quite sure whether I could tell Karine what Wood had told me in confidence, considering she was his ex-girlfriend and I paused, wondering how to express myself.

"I don't know. It's almost like he feels guilty about something and that's why he sits next to be in class and hasn't been an asshole in a few weeks, but I've no idea why. Sure the bloke should feel guilty about treating me like shit, but it only started after I broke up with Roger. It makes no sense whatsoever!"

"Did you try asking him about it?" Karine offered helpfully and I raised an eyebrow at her statement. She threw her hands into the air and added quickly. "I know, stupid question."

"I don't know, maybe he feels bad for me," I mused aloud and then paused as I thought that out. I shrugged and then looked back into the fire, adding, "He told me a bit about when you guys broke up, which makes me think that he was trying to make me feel better."

"He spoke about me?" Karine asked me, tone filled with disbelief. Her brow wrinkled in confusion and she seemed to sit up straighter in her seat, legs straightened out under her.

"Yeah, just what it was like for him when you guys broke up," I replied, wondering how much I could divulge to Karine. She was a good friend, but I felt that what Wood told me was meant to be in confidence.

"You know you can tell me. I won't say anything," Karine added helpfully and I smiled at her and nodded my head.

"I know and there really isn't much else to say on it."

"You know a lot about what was reported about the break-up between Oliver and I was completely exaggerated. That isn't me," Karine spoke, her voice quiet and soft.

I realised then that while Wood might have told me the truth, his truth was very biased. We all knew how much Wood disliked Karine; their public spats over the past year were evidence to that, but it never crossed my mind that he himself might have an agenda. I honestly didn't know whom I should believe. It all came down to whom I trusted and believed more, and while Wood might have been really nice to me these pat two weeks, Karine has never treated me like shit. Ultimately it was quite easy whom to believe.

I hated taking sides; but this one was a no-brainer. Wood had already made that decision for me when he dumped me so cruelly a few months ago and no matter how nice he was acting now that didn't erase it. I was on team Karine.

* * *

My breath was crisp and came out in small white puffs of air as I walked through the empty corridors of Hogwarts castle. It was dinnertime, not a soul was around and I liked it. The cardigan that I had bundled myself up with upon leaving Gryffindor tower was scratching my bare arms and so I rubbed the spot and pulled the uncooperative garment higher up my shoulders. All around me, Hagrid and the house elves had already begun the task of decorating the castle with Christmas decorations. As I walked past, a suit of armour creaked under the amount of tinsel that had been strewn around its head.

I loved Christmas, I really did, but I couldn't get into the mood yet. I dug my hands into my cardigan pocket and pulled out the Walkman that had been charmed to play despite Hogwarts' magical interference and popped the headphones on my head. Rewinding the tape, I stopped until I found the song and a second later the melody to Nat King Cole's classic _Christmas Song_ blared out of them.

I didn't know exactly why I wasn't in the spirit, but the soothing voice of Nat King Cole began to eat away at any troubles or fears I had had, sending me into a blissful state of nirvana. I walked on and smiled as I spotted a sprig of mistletoe, perched in between the large clumps of holly that adorned the arch of a corridor. Peeves up ahead, was gliding through the air and cackling to himself and I quickly veered off into another corridor, lest he start harassing me with jinxed mistletoe or tinsel.

I dug my hand into the other pocket of my cardigan and pulled up a folded letter I had received from my uncle that morning. I opened it and scanned over the pages, my eyes lighting up with some Muggle observation of his, or another new band he had discovered. This time it was some band called Oasis that he saw at a gig in Manchester and insisted I hear before they get big and release their debut album.

I sighed and gingerly folded up the letter again, before returning it to its place in my cardigan pocket. Okay, so maybe I had an inclination as to why I was feeling out of spirits. It had been a long while since I had felt homesick while still at Hogwarts and it was a very unusual feeling. It also seemed completely silly that I suddenly start missing my family when I'm only days away from seeing them again. But I guess it never made sense before. Instead a pushed up the volume and hummed along to the song as I made my way aimlessly down the corridors of Hogwarts castle, letting the words of the song overflow me.

"_Although it's been said many times many ways; Merry Christmas to you..."_

_

* * *

_

I was in a brilliant mood and frankly I didn't care who would see me or comment on it. Having just spent the last two hours in the company of Abby and Ethan, joking, analysing, messing and teasing Ethan mercilessly in the Great Hall had completely eradicated any feeling of homesickness that I had been suffering from before. I marched into the Gryffindor common room, portrait door banging loudly behind me as I sang to myself.

"_When you first took my hand on a cold Christmas Eve, you promised me Broadway was waiting for me."_ I sang shrilly, which elicited a few raised eyebrows and whisperings from the years below me - my year had long ago accepted my eccentric need to sing Muggle music aloud in public.

"Margate, what's with the singing?" Wood queried, eyebrow raised as he walked towards me from where he had been slouched on one of the sofas. I ignored his comments, just grinned at him and continued on.

"_You were handsome, you were pretty, Queen of New York city",_ I sang to him, dropping a hand on his shoulder and tapping it patronisingly. He just continued to stare at me and I sang on. _"When the band finished playing they yelled out for more. Sinatra was swinging, all the drunks they were singing, we kissed in a corner and danced through the night." _

Seeing that Wood was being about as stiff as his namesake, I sighed and added. "Come on Wood, lighten up! It's just a Muggle Christmas song. Don't tell me you're going to turn into a Christmas Grinch on me." I laughed when I saw the confused look on his face, making my way towards the sofas next to the fireplace and I saw that Wood was following me. I plopped down and when I saw that he still didn't know what I was on about, I clarified.

"It's a Muggle reference. It means you're anti-Christmas."

"I resent that Margate," Wood implored, crossing his arms across his chest and looking like a grumpy child, which made me laugh even more. He sat down next to me and I moved over to give him more space and also so my body wouldn't touch his. Wood didn't seem to notice the action and instead slouched down and stretched out his long legs, kicking off his shoes in the process. He turned his head over to look at me and I squirmed slightly in my seat, realising how close Wood and I were, and the fact that it was done willingly. I pulled my legs up under me and dropped my hands onto my lap.

"So what was that song you were singing?" Wood inquired, curious. His hands seemed to have found one of the frayed edges of the covering on the sofa, pulling at the loose threads absently.

"It's this Christmas song that's about this poor immigrant couple in New York. The man keeps talking and dreaming of how he's gonna make it big but in reality they're just a couple of drunkards who will never amount to anything and their relationship is quite rocky so they're constantly throwing insults at each other," I said, alternating between looking at him and into the crackling fire. I smiled as a memory of being eleven years old, home for the first time from Hogwarts for Christmas and sitting in the sitting room with my uncle listening to the song on the radio flashed back to me. It had been a very nice Christmas.

"Well that's not very Christmas-y," Wood commented, a frown marring his features.

"It's not meant to be. It reminds us that not everything is perfect and rosy, especially this time of year," I countered and Wood shrugged his shoulders non-committal. Silence enveloped us and I began shifting uncomfortably in my seat again, picking up my hands, running them through my hair and dropping them back onto my lap again. Wood seemed to be similarly engrossed in the silence, because his eyes kept flickering from the fire in front of us to his hands and then up to me and back again. I didn't know what to do; yet I wasn't uncomfortable enough to get up and leave either. It was a strange silence, but not entirely unwelcome.

"So you looking forward to that Weird Sisters gig over Christmas?" Wood asked, pulling one of his legs toward him and propping it up on the sofa.

"Yeah I am," I replied smiling at the prospect. "We've almost got it sorted out with the backstage passes and we're going to stay over at Ethan's that night, so that's gonna be a bit mental."

"Do yourself a favour and stay away from his family's pet cat. The thing is manic and will try and kill you," Wood exclaimed and I laughed at him, not believing a single word.

"Awww Wood, you afraid of a tiny little cat?" I cooed at him and he scowled at me, which caused me to burst out laughing again.

"The thing is bloody dangerous!" he cried and his Scottish accent thickened the more annoyed he became. I just laughed even harder and he narrowed his eyes, crying out. "Wheesht you!" I rolled over and plopped down onto the arm of the sofa, clutching my stomach in laughter. Wiping away the tears from my eyes, I sat back upright and grinned at him.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to make your traumatic moment seem insignificant," I replied, mocking him with every fibre of my body and loving it.

"The thing bloody attacked me!" Wood exclaimed and then lifted up his jumper and t-shirt to show me the side of his chest. I gulped and the laughter slid off my face as I looked at Wood's toned abdomen. It took me a moment to realise he was pointing at a scar below his last rib on the right side of his waist. I leaned down and looked at it properly, though in the dim light it was quite hard to see.

Wood huffed some more and then pulled out his wand and uttered, "Lumos."

In the wand-light I was able to see three long scars, running parallel to each other and half an inch in length. It looked pretty painful and I winced at the thought of receiving it, before realising that I could smell Wood's scent from being so close to him. He smelled masculine and wasn't wearing any after-shave, which I always liked. I realised it was a little too close for my liking and pulled back, sitting upright.

"Did you get into a scuffle with the cat?" I teased and he rolled his eyes at me. I brought up my hands and rolled them into fists, pretending to punch him in the arm. Wood just stared stoically at me and I sighed, exasperated. "Come on Wood. You've gotten so many chances to tease me over the years; now it's my turn!"

"Fine, do with me what you must!" Wood replied dramatically and I grinned at him, bringing my legs up to my chin so that our positions were mirroring each other.

We lapsed into a comfortable silence and a thought struck me of how companionable the last half hour had been. We hadn't squabbled more than what is usual for us, and even stranger it didn't hold any undercurrents of resentment or desire. In fact, if people didn't know us, they might presume us to be nothing more than platonic friends. It was a very odd feeling indeed, but after months of stress, agitation and hoopla it felt very refreshing. It almost felt like all the months of tears and stress I went through weren't for some pointless act, but a reason.

"So how are you doing, Margate?" Wood asked, glancing over at me and I shrugged my shoulders.

"You know, people have been asking me that a lot this last week!" I snorted and dropped my shoulders, letting my arms fall to my sides. I turned to face Wood and saw that he was staring at me. "What?" I added, unsure why he could possibly be staring at me like that.

"It's because they care, strange as the concept might seem," he replied, his voice devoid of any emotion, although that one eyebrow of his had been raised again.

"That's fine, but I wish people would stop treating me like a fragile doll. I'm honestly fine. The whole thing was pretty embarrassing and humiliating, but I'm fine now. I even had a chat with Roger about those stupid rumours and everything's alright!" I replied, a little exasperated that I constantly have to repeat myself and that people really don't want to believe me. I propped my chin up on my knees and stared at my feet. I really needed to buy new socks.

"Davies is a goon!" Wood muttered and I laughed at his strange Scottish slang that had been propping up more and more in recent weeks.

"Goon!" I giggled, repeating the word. "Karine said that too, only her choice of word wasn't quite as entertaining!" Wood stiffened beside me, though I was hardly aware as I remembered the conversation she and I had yesterday. "But she says that all her exes are like that."

"What was Karine saying about me?" Wood spoke, his tone suddenly devoid of the warmth it held but minutes before.

"Nothing much, just that things were exaggerated and blown out of proportion and you know she's probably right. You know how the gossip mill in Hogwarts can get like," I shrugged, feeling that I was suddenly stepping into very dangerous territory. The darkening scowl on Wood's face confirmed my suspicion and I wished I could side step this conversation that was inevitably coming.

"Oh really Margate?" Wood asked, tone disbelieving as he stared hard at me.

"Yes I do. She's a perfectly lovely person!"

"And what else have you told this 'perfectly lovely person'?" Wood's tone had descended into icy and I shrunk back subconsciously from the anger that was radiating off him.

I probably should have said something placating, lied through my teeth and tried to get out of the conversation as soon as humanly possible, but the gift of foresight was never one I possessed; plus I was always far too stubborn.

"Well for one, how you can be the most infuriating person ever! You're so hot and cold with me it gives me headaches, A few weeks ago you were a right bastard to me and yet this last week you've gone out of your way to include yourself in my life and be nice to me!" I huffed, letting the grievances come flooding out. "I mean you thrive on being so mysterious, but as soon as something comes along you can't control you distance yourself from it. You were no different with her than you were with me and it's bloody irritating."

"You've some fucking cheek talking to Karine about me!" Wood hissed dropping his legs onto the floor and sending some pretty icy glances my way.

I glared at him in return and replied fiercely. "I can talk to whoever I want, Wood. This is a bloody free country and so what do you care if I did talk to her?"

"Seriously Margate; I tell you private things about her and you can't even wait a fucking day before you go running off to her?"

"She's my friend!" I declared loudly.

"And she's a fucking bitch who will tear you to shreds no matter what, you mark my words!" Wood bellowed back, standing up in agitation and scowling down at me from his impressive height.

"Just because you can't stand her, doesn't mean the rest of us have to treat her the same!" I replied shrilly, standing up myself so we could at least be on equal footing, but I would never be with Wood. "Did the thought ever cross your mind that maybe your judgement is clouded because of your resentment against her? I mean seriously, we've all been cheated on by others; it doesn't make you that special!"

Wood took a step back and expelled a breath of air as he eyed me critically, his face impassive. "So that's honestly how you feel about her?"

"Yes!" I ground out, exasperated that we were fighting about the same topic again. "She has never done anything wrong to me and I'm not about to treat her like she has just because you say so!"

"And the thought of maybe staying away from her for me never crossed your mind?" Wood asked angrily.

"Why would I Wood? You dumped me after all. I don't owe you anything!" I thundered in return, my hands on my hips, which must have looked intimidating even for my stature, because Wood pulled back and refused to meet my eyes. He shrugged to himself and shoved his hands into his trouser pockets before he finally looked up at me again.

"You know what Margate?" he said listlessly, finally gazing down at me and I saw that the anger had drained from his face. "Fuck this entire thing and fuck you. Do whatever the hell you want, because I don't care anymore. I'm done!" With that he shrugged one last time and turned around, walking away from me.

"Oh no you don't!" I yelled after him. I stomped up to him, running just to catch up with his long strides and placed myself right in front of him, barely inches apart. By this time we had reached the staircase leading up to the boy's dormitories and I leaned my back against the banister.

"You can't keep blowing me off just because I said something you don't agree with! Stop playing me so hot and cold and have a real discussion with me!" I was frustrated beyond belief and I wanted more than anything that Wood would just look at me, but he kept avoiding my eye contact. I pushed myself well into his personal space in the hopes that he might give me some form of a reaction, but he just took another step back.

"Move out of the way, Margate," Wood replied dispassionately. He took my arm and moved me out of the way before climbing the staircase up to the seventh year boys' dormitory. I whirled around on the spot and let out a cry of frustration, before stomping back to the sofa where we had just been sitting and plopping down on it again. I crossed my arms, but got up again in agitation and started walking towards the fireplace.

The nerve of that boy! To attack me because I was friends with Karine and he popped up as a topic of conversation? It was beyond unreasonable and I was so sick and tired of always having the same argument with him leading to the same results. He despised Karine and the prospect of anyone else liking her or even talking to her was so reprehensible that this was the second time he shut me out.

"Fucking idiot!" I yelled out in frustration and saw that a few third years had raised their heads from their homework and were sending disparaging glances my way. I just glared at them and turned around again, facing the fireplace. I didn't have time for third years anyway.

Wood was right about one thing; this whole thing was so beyond over for the both of us. I resented him more than ever because he kept playing with me and I really couldn't forgive him. That was obvious, even if I was still enraged. I flopped down onto the sofa and pulled my legs up towards me, letting out a deep sigh. The anger was dissipating and I could feel it ebbing away out of my body, but the determination remained. It seemed he couldn't trust me to be real with me and I knew I wouldn't be able to respect a person who treated me so atrociously.

Well screw Wood and his inability to make up his mind. I was done!

* * *

An icy cold December morning was what finally pulled me out of the troubled sleep I had been having all night. The dreams, though vague, were filled with battles and exertion, of running and screaming; yet none of it was decipherable. I didn't know who my enemy was or why I was battling them, but the over-all theme of the dreams couldn't have been clearer. It seemed even in sleep Wood plagued me, and the fight we had.

The fight itself shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did; we have often fought before, but this one felt different. It felt personal and filled with so much hatred and anger that I wasn't even aware he could possess. He had always seemed like such an aloof and mild character; the most that would bother him would be Quidditch, but the anger he displayed towards me the night before threw all those assertions out the bloody window.

I rubbed my eyes free of sleep and pushed the bird's nest of my hair out of my face. As the covers dropped to my legs the coldness of the room hit me again like a tonne of bricks and I shivered momentarily. Pausing because of the cold I finally dropped the first foot onto the wooden floor and pulled myself out of bed.

I grabbed a pair of jogging pants and jumper with some clean underwear before heading towards the bathroom and a scalding hot shower to wake up my muscles and my mind.

As the pressure of the water beat down onto my back did the subject of the fight return. I was caught off-guard by the fat tears that leaked from my eyes and slowly began sliding down my face. I quickly tried to rub them away, but found that the dam had been breached and a torrent was now pouring down my cheeks. I held back a sob, but found it to be futile and a few minutes later I found myself leaning against the cold tile wall of the shower sobbing my heart out over a boy that neither cared nor liked me. Wood's angry face distorted by rage kept swimming in front of my eyes and that would make the tears worse until it felt that my heart would break in two.

Five minutes later the storm had subsided and I was finally surfacing again. The tears had stopped and my ribcage only felt like a dull ache after it all. I sniffed a few more times before turning the tap off and letting the cold air envelop me once more. I grabbed a towel and began the slow process of dressing and readying myself for the day.

I don't think I would ever understand why Wood had unleashed so much hatred toward me and I hoped this feeling of being lost in an almighty big world would disappear too, but for the day I knew it wouldn't.

I never realised before this morning how important Wood had been in my life, in one form or the other. Though we had only been going out for a few weeks, he had always been there; whether it was to spar with, to prove something to or even just to have someone to talk to. Wood had felt like someone as integral to my Hogwarts life as Abby or the girls or Aiden and Nathan.

But I knew what we had wouldn't be the same again. Maybe we had never really truly been friends, because the boy that was roaring at me the night before hadn't been the Wood that I knew. But then again, how much did I really know about him? I knew he was an only child and what his parents were called, but aside from his interests, his friends or what subjects he took in school I didn't know much else. How had it been, that after all those months I know so little of the boy that has had such a monumental impact on my final year? Either way it was all for nought. I somehow knew, that any chance Wood and I had at repairing our friendship was now gone and that was something I had to accept.

* * *

There are many reasons to fight; some fight for life, others fight for love, you fight for someone and with others. You fight in arenas or on the street, and some fight for gold, others for respect or revenge. And some fight just for the hell of it.

It does not matter how to define the word fight, whether you give it the properties of a noun or a verb. To fight is always a strong word that is never taken lightly. One doesn't fight for something they are apathetic about. That's how Wood and I were. We weren't apathetic how we felt about each other; he was filled with anger and many other disagreeable feelings, while I was filled with frustration and despair. Neither of us had been mild the night before and even in the cold hard light of day those feelings hadn't changed.

As I said before, there are so many reasons to fight but right now all of them seem utterly pointless to me.

* * *

The cold hadn't disappeared since yesterday, but at least the fog had cleared by morning-time, so by the time we were making our way onto the small platform in Hogsmeade, the sun had started to pierce its way through the clouds and illuminate the village and the castle on the hillside in a warm glow. All around us the students of Hogwarts were talking excitedly about their plans for the Christmas break and I watched their faces change from delight to curiosity and back again.

It was finally Sunday afternoon, the moment I had been looking forward to for the last week; the moment we would finally board the Hogwarts Express and head home. And even though, it had been the thought of this moment that had gotten me through the last week, I wasn't happy.

Wood was the cause of that.

"Come on Chrissie, we'd better get a compartment before they're all gone," Abby called out, tugging at my arm as she adjusted her long Gryffindor scarf around her neck.

By sheer coincidence, all four of us including Aiden were going home this Christmas period and we used these last few hours to just relax and bond. With Tess having almost completely disappeared now that Joshua was as smitten with her as she was with him; and Jackie working furiously on her NEWT studies, our group of five had lately been reduced down to three. I was glad to at the very least have Aiden and Abby around, but I had to admit it was nice to have the entire group reunited again. It would have been much better if Ethan had been there too, but that was a lost cause after the fight with Wood.

I sighed. There was no use worrying over spilled milk, or missing his presence. It was altogether a fruitless thing to do.

"I'm gonna miss Hogwarts these next two weeks," Tess declared to no one in particular and we all stared at her, baffled and a little shocked.

"Why?" Abby queried, her face showing clearly how much she disbelieved Tess' statement.

"Look around you. It's so peaceful and pretty here. I'm gonna miss that back in Cardiff."

We all looked around and realised it was actually very pretty around us. The icicles on the trees hadn't quite melted yet and the thick frost and ice still clung to the leaves and blades of grass, giving the whole picture a silvery hue.

"It is beautiful," I responded and we took in the scene for a moment, ignoring the bustling people around us, the noise coming from the train, the screeching of the owls, rats and assortment of pets, the scraping noise of school trunks being dragged across the flagged platform and just enjoyed the beauty.

"Well, it's time to go home now," Jackie sighed, breaking the spell and we all snapped out of the trance, picked up our belongings and headed towards the train.

It was at that moment that I spotted Wood. The crowds ahead of us parted and I saw his profile from afar; knowing instantly it was him. He was standing with Ethan and a few other boys, his heavy overcoat on and Gryffindor scarf tied around his neck, that amber hair of his messy from the wind. Our eyes caught one another and I realised that even from afar his eyes were still as strikingly green as ever. I wanted to wave or say something, but knew I couldn't and the stony look on his face told me he wasn't going to take back what he had said. Ethan spotted me, waved and smiled, but Wood had already looked away. I waved back a little unsure and boarded the train. When I looked back over my shoulder, the crowds had closed the gap again and they were lost among the throng of people once more. Sighing, I turned back to my friends and pulled myself up the small rung and disappeared into the Hogwarts Express bound for home.

* * *

**A/N's: I'm back! And this time I'm actually gonna be updating more often.**

**I'll see you guys at the next chapter. Until then, pretty please leave a review!**

**Agrolass**

**xxx**


	10. A New Start, A New Year's Resolution

**The excerpt from **_**Prisoner of Azkaban**_** belongs to JK Rowling. Everything else is my creation.**

* * *

_**Chapter 10; A Fresh Start, A New Year's Resolution**_

I like phoenixes; they live their lives, then burst into flames and rise out of the ashes reborn into something new and more beautiful. No matter what life throws at them, they are able to overcome all obstacles and live on.

I wanted to be like a phoenix, so beautiful and indestructible. And that was my New Year's resolution to myself; I was not going to let the past drag me down. I would rise out of the ashes of my former life and be stronger than ever before.

This year is going to be a complete fresh start.

"_At first I was afraid, I was petrified,"_ I sang, twirling around to face the window, wand in my left hand being used as a microphone.

"_Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side_," I belted out, raising a hand into the air and performing a few dance moves. This was by far one of my favourite dance songs, and Gloria Gaynor was always able to put me in a great mood.

"_But I spent so many nights, thinking how you did me wrong. I grew strong, I learned how to carry on."_ As the rest of the song kicked in, I twirled around, in my underwear and black t-shirt, hair half dried and messy as hell and began dancing along to the song waving my hands into the air.

"_I will survive-"_ I was interrupted when Abby walked into my room and stopped short when she saw me singing and dancing like a crazy person in the middle of the room. She raised an eyebrow and walked over the camper bed that had been set up for her, dumping her wet towel on top of it, all the while eyeing me carefully.

"Merlin's beard, you're weird, Chrissie!" Abby exclaimed, shaking her head in amusement. She pulled the towel from her head, shook out her sopping wet locks and gave me an exasperated glance, before she began towel-drying her hair.

"Abby, you're acting like you've never met me before!" I cried brightly, sending her a winning smile, but she just sighed and shook her head in disbelief.

"Forgive a girl for sometimes forgetting," she remarked and with an arched eyebrow she glanced over at the Muggle CD player sitting on one of the shelves. Gloria Gaynor was still blasting from the speakers.

"You're in a good mood today considering we're going back to Hogwarts," she remarked airily, though I could tell that she was hiding the concern she felt for me.

"My dear Abbs, as Gloria Gaynor herself so eloquently sang, '_I'm not that chained of little person still in love with you'_. Relax!" I laughed, skipping over to the wardrobe and pulling out a pair of jeans. I aimed the wand at the CD player and brought the volume down, while I searched through my wardrobe for a good jumper to wear.

"Aha!" I declared triumphantly, fishing one out of the messy wardrobe and pulling it on. I turned to face my best friend, who had dried her hair by this point and was stowing her wand away in her back pocket.

"I'm serious Chrissie," Abby said softly, sitting down on her bed and folding up her pyjamas. "You'll tell me if you're feeling nervous about Hogwarts and seeing Oliver, right?"

"Abbs, how many times do I have to try and convince you that I'm fine! I'm over it; in fact I'm perfectly happy with my decision. It was foolish to try and be friends and now that that pressure is gone I'm so much happier. I'm not going to be that girl anymore!" I shrugged my shoulders and grinned at her, turning my attention back to my half-packed trunk. I was whistling happily along to the song, occasionally shaking my booty to it too.

"I suppose…" Abby said a little hesitantly, but laughed as she watched me with my head in the trunk, bum in the air and shaking it along to the beat. "You really do look stupid doing that!"

"I pulled up and grinned at her, declaring happily. "I'm back, bitch!" I got up and pulled Abby up from her bed and the two of us danced our little asses off to the melody.

I hadn't been lying to Abby; I really was perfectly happy and that Chrissie from the time of Wood and Roger, the one who would cry over a boy and their idiocy was gone. I was back and I wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

"Christina!" Tess squealed and a moment later the blonde girl in question barrelled into me.

"Ooof!"I let out, completely winded as I staggered backwards from the weight of Tess. My bag dropped onto the ground and I awkwardly hugged her back. She pulled away from me, her hands still on the top of my arms and eyed me critically, as if she hadn't seen me in months.

"Do you always have to call me Christina at the start of every term? You just saw me two weeks ago!" I declared and Tess grinned at me.

"Yeah, but that doesn't count. It's a new year and I want to make the right impression on it," Tess replied amiably and I shook my head and my eccentric friend.

"Now come on, Jackie's waiting on the train in our compartment." Tess grabbed Abby's hands and mine, with a grin at Abby next to me and a quick flick of my wand we let ourselves be dragged onto the Hogwarts Express.

* * *

Having been sufficiently fed after the feast upon arrival at Hogwarts and weary from the journey, Abby and I had crashed onto the nearest sofa in the Gryffindor common room and fallen down upon it.

"Owww, I will never eat that much again!" Ethan groaned, holding his stomach delicately. This elicited a snort from Abby, who was lying half on top of me as she rolled her eyes at Ethan sitting next to us.

Maybe I should explain the presence of Ethan first; see he had come through for us with those backstage passes to the Weird Sisters concert. In fact he had been there too, and we had spent an incredible night out in London at his place, that ended up with us in the Leaky Cauldron at four in the morning, doing far too many shots of Firewhiskey and singing loudly until we got kicked out by Tom the barman.

We were a lot closer as a result of the night out in London and while I was a little apprehensive about hanging out with Wood's best mate, Ethan quickly assured me that his best friend was an idiot and all thoughts of Wood were thrown aside.

"Ethan, I'm sure you can see why we don't believe you, considering you say that after every meal!" I retorted, laughing at his absurdity.

"Am I never to be believed?" Ethan cried out dramatically and we grinned at him, shaking our heads.

At that moment Wood came flouncing into the common room and I stiffened in my seat a little as Abby and Ethan watched him with disinterest. He made his way straight over to where Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were sitting on the other side of the fireplace and all three of us looked away, bored.

It was only when Wood exclaimed loudly, "A _Firebolt?_ No! Seriously? A – a real _Firebolt?_" that our interest was piqued again and we glanced over at them.

"Figures, Oliver would only be that excited about something Quidditch related!" Abby laughed and Ethan nodded his head sagely.

"You don't have to share a dorm with him. That is mild," Ethan exclaimed, shaking his head at his friend.

"Don't get excited, Oliver," said Harry gloomily. "I haven't got it any more. It was confiscated." We listened with interest, making sure not to look like we were overhearing as Harry explained to Wood how McGonagall believed the broom to be jinxed.

"Jinxed? How could it be jinxed?" Oliver replied, sending a very perplexed look at Harry.

"Sirius Black," Harry said wearily. "He's supposed to be after me. So McGonagall reckons he might have sent it."

Ethan and Abby exchanged surprised glances at the sound of Harry's admission, but Wood hilariously seemed to wave this piece of information that a dangerous mass-murderer was after his Seeker aside, and focused on the broom again.

"But Black couldn't have bought a Firebolt! He's on the run! The whole country's on the lookout for him! How could he just walk into Quality Quidditch Supplies and buy a broomstick?" Wood proclaimed, tone showing how much he disbelieved this hypothesis.

"I know," said Harry, "but McGonagall still wants to strip it down –"

All three of us watched with great delight as Wood went pale at the prospect of dismantling such an expensive broom. If Wood and I were still talking I would have completely sympathised with him.

"I'll go talk to her, Harry," he promised, rising from his seat on the sofa. "I'll make her see reason … a Firebolt … a real Firebolt, on our team … she wants Gryffindor to win as much as we do … I'll make her see sense … a _Firebolt_ …" Wood stood there dumbly for a moment, not quite able to comprehend the thought, but then he came to his senses and darted out of the common room.

Abby and I burst into laughter, trying to cover our mouths so people wouldn't hear, especially Harry or his friend.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is our dear Quidditch captain!" Ethan proclaimed loudly to the crowded common room. "He always had his priorities in order."

"Wow, not even Chrissie can be that moronic!" Abby declared, shaking her head, to which I elicited out a "Hey!"

Abby ignored me and then said, "That boy really has absolutely no tact. I always thought that it was just because Chrissie was in the vicinity, but –"

"Abby, the bloke never had any tact. I love the guy, but he's an idiot and when you throw Quidditch into the mix; well you saw for yourself," Ethan replied and Abby laughed.

"Can you imagine that conversation with McGonagall. Oh I would sell my own mother to see that!" Abby announced and Ethan grinned at her. Then both eyed each other and turned their gazes upon me.

"What?" I asked, confused by the sudden attention placed on me.

"How come you're not joining in?" Ethan asked. "This is usually right up your alley, bashing Oliver."

"I don't see why I should bother with a bloke that has no consequence in my life. He's about as interesting to me as most of the Slytherins," I declared, shrugging my shoulders. I returned to examining my fingernails until they changed the subject.

"Chrissie and Oliver had a huge fight before Christmas and now they're not talking to each other again," Abby clarified to Ethan and he frowned.

"So that's why they've both resolutely avoided the topic of the other then?" Ethan queried and Abby nodded her head in assent.

"There's not much more to say on the topic. We're not friends so I really see no point in conversing about Wood or his idiocy," I remarked and Abby and Ethan looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

Percy Weasley, our very lovely and competent Head Boy chose that moment to come up to us, and as usual he was wearing a frown on his face.

_Great_, I thought. _Here to give out to us again!_

"Christina!" Percy spoke imperiously, as he stood in front of the sofa where we were sitting on.

"Percy!" I declared, matching his tone of voice with a grin on my face.

Percy scowled at me and then added, "I hear you've been harassing second year students on the train again."

"Percy, my dear!" I said sarcastically. "I don't harass anyone, but if someone is obnoxious and asks me stupid questions, I will give them their due!"

"Now really Christina!" Percy proclaimed, annoyance shining through. "You're a seventh year. Can't you behave as such, or do I have to deduct House points from you for bullying younger students?"

"You're delusional, Perce!" I cried out, standing up and crossing my arms across my chest for added emphasis. "Now stop being stupid!"

"I'm a Head Boy, and you should treat me as such!" he replied angrily, his eyes flashing behind those horn-rimmed glasses of his. "I won't have such disrespect from anyone, especially a fellow seventh year!"

"Go away Percy, or I'll tell your brothers Fred and George about Penelope," I cried out wickedly, grinning from ear to ear. Percy, at the sound of his secret girlfriend being mentioned went from white to red in the face. He glowered at me and then stalked off across the common room.

I plopped down on the sofa in between Abby and Ethan, wearing a big grin on my face.

"Well that was fun!" I declared happily, glancing over at Abby and then at Ethan. They both just raised their eyebrows at me; Abby shook her head and Ethan tried his best to suppress a smile.

It was good to be back.

* * *

Monday morning and the first official day of term found the girls and I sitting together, as was our usual tradition for the last six years. At the start of every term, we would forgo boys, other friends and just concentrate on each other. With Tess dating Joshua now for over two months and Jackie spending every waking moment studying for the N.E.W.T.s, it was one of the few times we could just sit and enjoy each other's company.

It also meant that another tradition could take place in peace; the bi-annual McGonagall bashing Chrissie event. While I normally don't take too kindly to being humiliated, there was something about McGonagall trying in vain to convert me to the concept of academia and following the rules that was always highly entertaining for me. Even if that meant, she always put me in my place at the end of every conversation; but this was my last chance before I graduated and I had to try and win at least one debate.

"Good morning Professor!" I said cheerily, as McGonagall stopped in front of us, handing out the the respective timetables to Abby, Tess and Jackie before focusing on me.

"Miss Margate," she replied simply, the lilt of her Scottish accent coming to the fore.

"This is the last term for us. Are you gonna miss us much, Professor?" I inquired innocently, beaming up at our Head of House, whose eyes were narrowing at my cheerfulness.

"You are aware, Miss Margate, that you will be sitting your N.E.W.T.s that the end of this term?" McGonagall inquired, her sharp eyes trained fully on me. I resisted the urge to grin back at her, sensing that this time she was being serious and assented my head.

"Yes Professor," I replied cheerfully, but I shrank back slightly when I saw that her hard stare hadn't softened. _Right_, maybe it's too early to joke around with her just yet. The woman probably hasn't even had her coffee.

"And you are aware, that this means you will have to pay attention in class and do your homework on time," she continued on sternly, crossing her arms across her chest and frowning down at me from her impressive height.

"Yes Ma'am," I replied meekly, shrinking visibly under her hard stare.

"And I expect not to hear any more complaints from the other Professors about your dealings with Mister Wood or any other boy?" I gulped at that one and looked down at my hands, embarrassed that even the teachers were aware of Wood and I. "Because I expect Mister wood to finally win that Quidditch Cup for us and I won't have anyone distracting the team."

"Of course Ma'am!" I uttered quickly in return. "I'll stay well away from him and think only of my books."

"Good Miss Margate. Here is your timetable," McGonagall spoke, her voice softening somewhat and I let out an inaudible sigh of relief. She handed me my new timetable and I could have sworn I saw the woman trying to hide a smile. She walked down the Gryffindor table handing out timetables and an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach that she had just played me.

_Merlin, that woman was good!_

* * *

The snow crunched loudly underneath our boots, the layer of ice that had formed over the old snow over the last few nights was tough and hard to walk through. Abby and I were huddled together against the biting cold as we approached Greenhouse Four for our first Herbology lesson of the new term. Abby yanked the door open, where we were met with a cry of protestation from several students inside as the wind gushed in behind us, but we ignored them and quickly made our way to the back of the Greenhouse and as far away from the door as possible.

I generally quite liked Herbology as a subject; it wasn't taxing on the brain, we shared it with Hufflepuff who were always very easy to get along with and since so few sixth and seventh years took the course, they had decided to throw us all into one big class.

That in turn became a bit of a competition between the sixth and seventh years, which Sprout, being as genial as she is, only fostered because it made us pay attention more.

Abby and I scanned the groups that had already formed and spotted a seventh year Hufflepuff by the name of Harvey Ryan, who was waving us over. Abby and I exchanged shrugs and trudged over to where he sat on the cold flagstones and saw that the only other one in his group was Cedric Diggory, the sixth year Hufflepuff seeker and captain.

"Hullo," Harvey announced to us and we grinned at him. The boy was always very friendly, if a little slow when it came to academics.

"Christina, Abby, you know Cedric Diggory, right?" he asked us, seeming a little unsure and I smiled broadly at him.

"Of course; you're Captain of the Hufflepuff team," I answered matter-of-factly and Cedric nodded his head, grinning back at me.

"We would like you a bit more, but we're still a bit sore about Gryffindor losing to you last November because of those bloody Dementors!" Abby replied simply, the irritation shining through in her voice. Cedric let out a deep throaty laugh and grinned at Abby's comment.

"Well, yes. I tried to be gallant man and called for a replay, but your Captain seemed to accept that it was fair," Cedric chuckled in amusement, eyes shining with mirth.

"Well, Wood is an idiot and doesn't speak for the rest of us!" I uttered, rolling my eyes at the mention of Wood's name. At that moment Sprout chose to walk into the greenhouse and the entire class silenced and turned their attention on her. Abby and I made ourselves comfortable on the hard stone-flagged floor, sitting on top of our school bags and I noticed that Cedric had moved from his spot and sat down next to me. He smiled at me once more before turning his attention to his Head of House.

The next fifteen minutes passed by slowly, partially to do with the fact that I was bored out of my mind, so I had taken to digging a small hole in the ground by banishing soil from the same spot. It was growing quite deep by the time I heard Cedric whisper next to me, causing me to look up.

"What?" I asked, not having paid attention.

"You seem to be digging quite a hole there. Trying to reach China?" he queried, humour shining through in his voice.

"You really don't know your geography!" I laughed and then pointed out that our polar opposite would be somewhere east of New Zealand. "But I'm guessing you weren't trying to be accurate," I conceded and he tipped his head to the side, though I didn't know what he meant by that.

"I'm Cedric by the way," he introduced himself and in an oddly formal manner, held out his hand to shake.

I frowned at the hand, before shaking it slowly and looking up at him. "I know. You're a good seeker."

"Thanks," he replied happily, beaming at the compliment and I tried to suppress a smirk. The boy was just too easy to please. "I take it you're a Quidditch fan, then."

"Oh yeah!" I said with enthusiasm and started talking about some of my favourite things about the sport. Cedric just chuckled along and let me prattle on, for which I was quite grateful as I probably looked like a loon.

"Your friend Abby doesn't seem too keen on me though," Cedric added and I waved off with bit of information with a flick of my hand.

"Oh that's Abby. She can take Quidditch a bit personal and she likes acting the gruff person from time to time. Just ignore it."

"I'll remember that. But you don't hold it against me for winning the match, do you?" Cedric asked, quirking an eyebrow at me. His dark hair fell into his eyes and he pushed it back.

"Well I was a bit miffed right after the match, but Wood was right. It wasn't your fault and you guys played admirably." I shrugged and Cedric seemed to accept this, because he nodded his head and turned to face the front of the greenhouse again, as Sprout had taken to walking in between the groups and checking how they were doing pruning their shrubs. I glanced down at ours in front of us and sighed, knowing we were going to get in trouble as no-one could be bothered doing the work in our group.

Sprout stopped in front of us and studied our wild shrub critically, before glancing up at each one of us, waiting for an explanation.

"I'm sorry for not starting already Professor, but we were having a debate on whether to clip the new saplings yet or wait for another few weeks," Cedric said, lying easily and Sprout looked up at one of her favourite students and smiled warmly.

"What an excellent question Mr. Diggory. You're right to be wary about pruning them too early, but for now it should be fine to just reduce their tips," Sprout replied genially and walked on to the next group. Abby and I let out a sigh of relief and Harvey gratefully nodded over at Cedric.

I smiled at Cedric, grateful for saving our asses, but I wasn't about to show it yet. "You're such a teacher's pet!"

"You really do speak your mind," Cedric chuckled, looking quite astounded that I was talking to him like that.

"I do. I don't see why I need to hide how I feel about things," I replied simply, pointing my wand at the hole I had been digging earlier and resuming my little project.

"You're really quite refreshing," Cedric intoned, glancing down at the hole in the ground and I glanced up, confused at this remark, although he wouldn't look up.

"Merlin, do people kiss your ass the whole time?" The surprise must have been evident in my voice, because Cedric looked up at me and shrugged, a little unsure.

"I'm Quidditch Captain, a Prefect and considered good-looking. It comes with the territory," Cedric uttered back, rubbing the back of his neck in an adorable, awkward sort-of-way. I gazed critically at the boy next to me and really examined him for a moment. He was dark haired, with high cheekbones, wide grey eyes and he was tall. True Cedric had often been considered good-looking, but it wasn't until I actually examined him that I realised what the girls in school had been on about. Sixth years generally never appeared on my boy radar; I had always been interested in blokes older than me, but I had to admit he didn't look young and he was handsome.

"Poor Cedric, so good looking that no one takes you seriously!" I said jovially, mouth quirking upwards at the corners.

"Yes make fun of me, why don't you," Cedric answered chuckling, bumping his shoulder against mine that only caused me to laugh.

"Oh can't the poor sixth year handle it?" I mocked, eyes lighting with mischief.

"You are one strange creature Chrissie. You insist on mocking me, even though you don't know a thing about me," Cedric marvelled, shaking his head, though I didn't need to worry that he was taking what I said wrongly, for he was trying his hardest to repress a smile. Needless to say he failed miserably and I grinned innocently at him.

Sprout decided to take the moment to intervene and heartily give out to the both of us, which caused me to laugh harder, seeing her favourite student being given out for only talking to me for ten minutes. Cedric proved to be quite fun for that class.

* * *

It had snowed the night before, blanketing Hogwarts and the grounds in a fresh layer of clean white snow that seemed to rid the school and its environs of any dirt or grime that had accumulated. It felt like my mind that morning as I stared out of our dormitory window; all unblemished and fresh, as if my past mistakes had been wiped clean.

I was dawdling behind the girls as we made our way back up to the castle from an uncomfortable outdoor lesson of Astronomy in frigid cold grounds, and they soon promptly left me behind. Frankly I didn't mind, as I enjoyed the cold air on my exposed face and delighted in leaving marks in the untouched snow around me. While observing the sheer majesty of the snow-capped mountains in the distance, I was hit by a snowball in the back of my head that caused me to swerve around on the spot to see who the culprit was.

One Cedric Diggory was grinning at me, which caused me to frown with bewilderment, but I noticed a second later that he was holding another snowball in his other hand and I quickly ducked. The snowball in question flew over my head and I stood up straight again.

"What was that for?" I called out to him, hoisting my schoolbag higher up on my shoulder.

"Why not? That and you're a prime target, considering you're all alone with no-one to protect you," Cedric grinned, his voice slightly muffled from the scarf that was wrapped high around his neck and mouth.

"Oh, is that how we're gonna do this?" I inquired, eyes glinting with mischief as I slowly bent down and scooped up a pile of snow. Cedric's grin was faltering when he saw my hands compacting the snow and I quickly hurled it at him before he got a chance to duck out of the way. My throwing skills weren't that great and it flew uselessly past his left side. The grin returned to Cedric's face and he quickly got another snowball, which he fired at me. I had to swerve at the last minute to miss it and in the process dropped to the ground and two handfuls of snow in one go, dropped my schoolbag on the ground and charged at him.

I didn't know why I was engaging in such a childish behaviour as a snowball fight, but somehow it was all the more fun with someone as amiable and fun as Cedric Diggory. It didn't help that he seemed to be singling me out, making yesterday not just a fluke. I barrelled into him and jumped onto his back, rubbing the loose snow down his back and underneath his winter cloak. He let out a surprised yelp and we toppled to the ground in a pile of limbs and laughter.

We continued on with our snowball fight for another ten minutes and I can honestly say it was the most fun I had in well over a month. Cedric was incredibly entertaining to play around with and he never took any offence when I bested him. In the end we decided to call a truce, when we saw how soaked and tired we both were. I made my way over to where my schoolbag was lying on the ground and scooped it up, hoisting it back onto my back. Cedric meanwhile was brushing the last of the snow of his trousers and I looked down at my own uniform and sighed with dismay. The snow still clung to my skirt and tights and the school jumper had large wet patches from the snow.

I glanced at my watch and saw that I was well over ten minutes late to class.

"Shit, I've got Defence!" I cried out and Cedric pulled his gaze back up at me. He smiled warmly at me and I said goodbye to him before I made a mad dash through the snow towards the castle.

By the time I arrived in class I was twenty minutes late and the entire class looked at me and took in my dishevelled appearance with raised eyebrows, but I ignored them and lied to Lupin about falling in the snow and getting hurt as my excuse. Thankfully he bought it without much telling off and I slid into my seat next to Abby, cheeks still red from exertion and a placid smile on my face.

* * *

The second Herbology class of the week fell on a Friday afternoon and while everyone else used this opportunity to spend as little time paying attention as possible, I was distracted by Cedric Diggory. He had sat himself down next to me at the start of class with protestations that I had run off on him after the snowball fight yesterday and that he demanded recompense in the form of another. I laughed at that and asked him if he wanted to be beaten by a girl again, which launched us into a long debate on girls versus boys.

Twenty minutes later Professor Sprout had managed somehow to steer her class back towards doing the work and I was busy re-potting old plants, occasionally rubbing my nose and wiping more dirt on it in the process. Abby next to me seemed to be in her own world and Cedric on the other side was being a good little Prefect and also doing his work, but I stopped for a moment and glanced over at the tall Hufflepuff.

He really was quite handsome and I wondered how I never realised it before, but then I supposed it was because he had never shown up on my radar. But stranger than that, he seemed to be interested in me, which I really couldn't fathom why. I desperately wished I could talk to Abby at that moment, but conversing with Abby in a quiet greenhouse with the object of the conversation sitting on the other side wouldn't be such a good idea.

Cedric caught me staring at him and asked with a raised eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that, Chrissie?"

I snapped out of my daze and blushed as I responded. "Sorry was lost in thought there."

"Well since I got your attention," Cedric said, suddenly becoming nervous as he began rubbing that spot on the back of his neck again before glancing back up at me again. "I was wondering if you would like to go with me to Hogsmeade tomorrow; on a date."

I took a few seconds to digest the request and stared at him in wonderment. "Are you asking me out?"

"Yeah."

"Oh!" I let out and then blushed, feeling special under his gaze and quite pleased that he asked me. Without even thinking about it, I responded. "Okay."

"Okay?" he repeated, a little unsure and I grinned broadly at him.

"Yeah."

"Cool," he replied and then I realised how dumb we must sound with our one syllable answers and I could see Abby from the corner of my eye rolling her eyes at the two of us. I was also infinitely glad that she chose not to butt into the conversation at the moment.

I later on walked out of the class, Abby's arm intertwined with mine, chatting away animatedly about Cedric, but I wasn't paying attention to her as the doubts started creeping into my mind.

* * *

By the evening-time those doubts that had sprung up after Herbology had been given time to fester and subsequently grown. I was sitting on my bed, back propped up against the headboard with my pillow acting as a cushion against the hard wood. Abby was sitting next to me and Jackie and Tess were propped up against my feet. I was in the middle of a freak-out and the girls were trying their best to calm me down.

"Why the hell did I ever say yes to him?" I cried out and Tess rubbed my leg in an attempt to comfort me.

"Because he's handsome and you like him, right?" she responded softly.

I nodded my head and replied, "Yeah I do, but I can't go out with someone again! I just broke up with Roger and if anything that entire relationship should teach me not to trust my instincts with a bloke!"

"You can't compare Cedric with Roger!" Abby declared, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and giving them a squeeze. "Come on, one is a retard and the other is a sweetheart. I've never heard a bad word spoken about him." Tess emphatically nodded her head at Abby's words.

"What about it is concerning you so much?" Jackie asked solemnly, sitting up straight on the bed and stretching out her sore arms.

"I don't know if I can do this again so soon. I don't trust myself," I shrugged and looked down at my fingers, feeling the urge to bite my nails again. Abby sensed my desires and lightly swatted my hands away.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Your confidence has been knocked by Roger and Oliver, but that doesn't mean you should give up on blokes altogether," Abby spoke, hugging me tightly. I appreciated the hug, but didn't quite know whether I could believe her yet.

"He's a year below me too," I added and Tess frowned at me.

"So?" she asked.

"I don't go out with guys a year behind me," I responded simply.

"Make an exception," was the only response I got from her.

"But he's a Hufflepuff."

"You like the Hufflepuffs," Jackie answered that one.

"What happens if he cheats on me too?"

"You don't know that. Not that any of us actually think Cedric would ever do that," Abby replied, matter-of-factly.

"It's too soon. What will people say?"

"Since when have you cared what others thought about?" This time it was Jackie who responded.

By that point I had run out of excuses and I knew it too. I just stared at my hands dejectedly, feeling so unsure about myself. Wood and Roger had done that to me. On their own I might have been fine, but combined in such a short space of time left me reeling and doubting myself. It was a disconcerting feeling and one I didn't like. I resented both boys even more at that moment for being so callous and for hurting me like that so easily.

"Look Chrissie," Tess began and I gazed at her. "You're being silly. This absolutely fabulous and hot guy just asked you out, above all the other girls who would love to go out with him and you're actually thinking of turning him down. You just need to go for it because everyone knows that Cedric is a complete gentleman and you've nothing to worry about."

"Alright," I relented and Tess looked momentarily confused, so I laughed and clarified. "Okay I'll go out with him. You're right; I should just give him a chance." And that's what I would do. In the end I didn't want to be a cynic about love and the only way to know was to find out.

* * *

Whatever nerves and fears I had about going on a date with Cedric Diggory evaporated within minutes of meeting up with him in the Entrance Hall. He greeted me with such a warm smile that it eased all my worries and we greeted each other so warmly it made my insides squirm with delight. In the ensuing queue to have Filch tick our names of the list for Hogsmeade we fell into a comfortable conversation about Quidditch that lasted all the way down to the village itself. Even though the weather was frigid, the wind was blasting its way into our faces and the snow had turned into sludge that threatened to creep its way through my thick dragon-hide boots, I was having a brilliant day.

It had been a long while since I had been on a first date as comfortable as this and I found myself easily letting my guard down and letting Cedric in on more than I usually would have. We were just discussing our families while walking along the main street, when Cedric gently grabbed my hand and steered me into the Zonko's.

I smiled as I looked up at him and with an arched eyebrow, I quipped, "So this is where you take girls on a first date."

I was pleased to see a light blush spreading over his cheeks, which made me laugh and I quickly elaborated. "Smart move, Diggory!"

He let out a small breath of air and smiled roguishly down at me. "It's so like you to be the only girl that would find Zonko's amusing. I actually wanted to pick up a few fireworks for the Quidditch final, in case we win."

"You're ruining my fun!" I growled at him and he chuckled away upon seeing the look on my face. I watched as he made his way through the throng and pay for the box of Fireworks, before we walked out of the crowded shop and back into the quiet village. Hogsmeade was beautiful, but it had a habit of getting crowded whenever a Hogsmeade trip was planned for the students. We walked on up the high street, discussing a number of varying topics that for the life of me I couldn't remember an hour later, but the conversation rolled on easily. I was never in want of a new topic and Cedric was as keen and engaging as they come; all in all I was having a fantastic time.

It reminded me of my first date with Roger a few months previous and I was struck by the difference in the two dates. With Roger I had felt uneasy and unsure of myself, always doubting and mine and Roger's very public first kiss in The Three Broomsticks that had always made me feel stupid in retrospect. Cedric on the other hand was an absolute gentleman, like the girls had predicted. He would come with me into the shops I wanted to go to, even if they were filled with girly clothes and I found myself liking him more and more. It was refreshing to date someone purely because you liked them. We spent a very entertaining forty minutes in the Quality Quidditch Supplies, peering over world player stats and arguing the merits of one team over another.

It was also while darting in between groups of students and crowded small lane ways that I noticed how my hands tingled every time he grabbed my hand to pull me out of the way or guide my gently down another lane with his hand resting gently on the small of my back. It made me smile stupidly, which I spent another ten minutes trying to conceal so I wouldn't look like such an idiot grinning like a fool.

Unfortunately by the time we reached Dervish and Banges Cedric had caught on. We were standing at the top of the village and the small hillock, watching the crowds mingle by further down the high street.

"What's with the smile?" Cedric inquired and I blushed as I tried to repress it, but it only made it grow wider.

"It's nothing," I replied, unable to meet his eyes as I moved my purchases from one arm to the other.

"Really?" he pressed, a matching grin on his face as he took a step towards me. "It doesn't look like nothing." I glanced up at him and saw that his light grey eyes were sparkling with delight and the wind kept moving his hair from side to side, which made him look even more handsome. "In fact to me, it seems like you're having a great time and that's what the smile is about."

I repressed the urge to grin back at him, as I said coyly, "You can assume that. I'm just in a good mood."

"That's good to hear Chrissie," Cedric murmured. "Because that means you're having a great time with me." He took another step towards me and with eyes as wide as saucers I watched as he leaned towards me and kissed me. The kiss only lasted for thirty seconds and he slowly pulled away before I got a chance to process it. I started at him, bewilderment shining all over my face and he chuckled quietly to himself. I was aware that his lips that been awfully soft and that I wanted to kiss him again.

"Why did you do that?" I breathed, unable to completely comprehend things.

"Because you look so gorgeous right now." His answer was so simple and wonderful I would have fallen for Cedric all over again if his kiss hadn't sealed the deal already. I smiled shyly at him and leaned forwards, standing on my tiptoes as he was so tall and returned the kiss. It started off so chaste, but it deepened and Cedric gently took my gifts out of my hands and wrapped his arms around my waist.

To be honest I don't think I could describe the kiss other than sheer bliss; like staring a bright summer's dawn, or grass tickling your feet while walking through a meadow. It was pure heaven and it took me a moment to remember that we were still in Hogsmeade, that it was winter-time and we were on a very public street.

We eventually pulled apart for air and Cedric wrapped his arms around me as the cold assaulted me and reminded how bloody freezing it was outside. Standing still in this weather in January wasn't a smart idea and my teeth started chattering quietly.

"You cold?" he asked, bringing his head down to see that I was slowly nodding my head, blushing slightly.

"I didn't wanna say anything," I replied sheepishly and he chuckled, taking my hand in his.

"Come on; let's get some hot chocolate for you in The Three Broomsticks. That'll warm you up."

"With marshmallows and cream?" I cried excitedly, as I took back my gifts.

Cedric laughed aloud at that and nodded his head. "As many as you want!"

* * *

It was on the way back towards the other end of Hogsmeade where the pub The Three Broomsticks was located when Cedric and I bumped into Wood. That would be quite an accurate assessment of what actually happened. A rather noisy and irritating group of third year students had just barged through Cedric and I, and in the ensuing gaggle of girls and their swishing cloaks I was knocked aside and walked straight into Wood.

Cedric, whose hand I had let go of in the process came up towards me, concern evident in his voice. "Chrissie, you okay?"

"Yeah," I nodded and he quickly darted away, striding purposefully after the girls, presumably to be a Prefect and give out to them. I sighed and quickly brought my attention back to Wood, taking a step back and observing him, who for reasons unknown was still rooted to the spot, but then again so was I. He wasn't trying to catch my eye and I noticed distinctly that he was acting quite awkward. Frankly I was feeling the same; the fight still weighing heavily on both our minds.

Cedric strode up behind me and came to a rest, his attention on me. "I took away five points from each House for that stunt. It should teach them not to be so rude to other students." He then spotted who was standing in front of me and greeted Wood with a nod. "Hello Oliver, how were your holidays?"

"Grand," Wood replied easily, his Scottish burr stronger than before, most likely having strengthened in those two weeks he was at home. "I met with some scouts from Puddlemere United over Christmas."

"Wow, that's brilliant mate!" Cedric enthused, giving his rival captain a congratulatory smile. I wondered whether Wood and Cedric had always been friendly despite the rivalry and Wood's obsession with winning, or whether Cedric was just such a nice guy that he got on with everyone. I guessed that I wouldn't know; I would never ask Wood and I didn't have the courage to bring up Wood with Cedric either.

"It was just a meeting so I probably won't know for months, but they might come down and check out one of our games," Wood replied, shrugging his shoulders. He was still not looking towards me and I grew annoyed, remembering exactly why we fought in the first place. It hardened my resolve and I chose to ignore him, focusing instead on Cedric next to me. The way he so casually reached for my hand made me smile and I was dimly aware that Wood and Cedric were still speaking to each other.

"Well I'd better go find the lads," Wood said and Cedric nodded his head, smiling as he grinned down at me.

"Yeah I promised Chrissie I'd get her a hot chocolate," Cedric replied easily and the two boys said goodbye to each other before Wood walked off in the other direction.

Cedric turned to me and glanced for a moment at the retreating form of Wood and then back to me.

"Did Oliver just ignore you? I thought you were all friends?" Cedric queried, concern evident in his voice and I smiled at his unease. "Should I not have talked to him?"

I laughed gently and I responded. "No, talk to him all you want. our group do generally all get on, but Wood and I aren't friends anymore, as you could see in his interest in me." We began walking again, being careful to stay away from large groups.

"Alright," Cedric said, probably feeling it wasn't his place to pry and we walked on in silence.

It was an hour later that he raised the topic again. We were currently making our way through our second round of Butterbeers, seated in a booth in the corner away from the bustling crowd where it was a little quieter. The dim lights of the pub made it hard to see, even on a bright sunny day but I didn't mind. It was warm and I was seated next to Cedric in the booth, his arm resting on my shoulder.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is the deal with you and Oliver Wood?" Cedric began, and then started playing with his hands. "Sorry for blurting it out like that." He added hastily, giving me a sheepish expression on his face. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

I put down my glass and said slowly. "No it's fine. I'd probably have to tell you eventually, so why not get it out of the way." I sighed and then wondered where to start with the saga that is Wood and I.

"Well you're probably aware that we were seeing each other for a while at the start of the year," I began and Cedric nodded his head silently. "Well it didn't end so well and it got quite awkward as we're all in one group and I'm still really good friends with his best friend Ethan. For a while we tried to be friends with one another because we were all part of one group and because I thought he wasn't that big of an asshole. Well, we had a massive fight just before the Christmas holidays and we both just decided it was best if we stop trying to be friends, because the whole thing had been pointless anyway!" I realised that I ended that explanation on a bitter note, so I took in a deep breath to calm myself down and let out a sigh. "And that's the jist of it."

"I'm sorry about that," Cedric said, sympathy evident in his voice and I smiled at him.

"Don't be. It wasn't meant to be, as my mum always tells me. Now let's change the topic!"

"But you're fine, right?" he pressed and I nodded my head. Cedric smiled in return and we changed the topic to something a little more interesting for the both of us.

While I was in the ladies bathroom ten minutes later washing my hands, I glanced up at my reflection in the mirror and thought back to our conversation.

I was honestly fine. Wood ignoring me had strengthened my resolve and I knew that I couldn't have anything more to say to a bloke who could be such an asshole to me. I knew Cedric probably didn't understand it, and frankly neither did I, but I knew in that instant that I would be okay. I had made my bed and I was glad to lie in it. I magically dried my hands and walked out of the bathroom, letting the door swing shut behind me.

* * *

_**Calliope's Guide To Hogwarts**_

_A Fresh Start, A New Year's Resolution_

_Every year on the first of January millions of people, young and old make promises to themselves for the year ahead. They promise to eat healthier, stay more active, take up sports, be kinder to their families, excel at school and work and a myriad of other resolutions. And as it invariably ends up, most are forgotten or broken within the first few weeks. It seems so pointless to me, to go and make all these grand proclamations about how this year will be different, better and not at all like all the years previous. After all, we can change our lives if we just will it, right?_

_I've never bought into this ridiculous concept. You are who you are and just because you say on a specific date that things will be different, it doesn't mean it actually will._

_While the idea of leaving behind ones past and looking towards the future at this time of year is quite appealing, the concept that we can leave all our past troubles behind just like that is silly._

_I know I may be the only one out there; my friends often tell me I'm too pessimistic about people, but then maybe I've seen all the mistakes and failures made and I know they aren't that easy to wash away._

_In fact it's almost impossible to leave behind your failures; they cling to you like dirt and no matter how hard you scrub you won't take them off. Someone will always remember what you have done._

_Everyone wants to change their past, escape their mistakes and failures and start afresh. Though life doesn't always give us those opportunities, for a short period at the start of every year we can fool ourselves into believing that we can. Just for those few days we believe in a rebirth of sorts and that all those silly mistakes we made and all those promises we'll never keep will actually be followed through. Maybe it is silly and stupid to believe this, but as I look around, I see how it brings hope to so many people out there, believing they can change themselves for the better._

_Maybe that's what the New Year is really all about; allowing humanity to believe that we can change for the better. And for that reason I really can't fault it, or the millions of people that make the same resolutions to themselves year after year._

_I want to believe in it too; and maybe this year I might get my fresh start that I so desperately crave. Maybe this year will be different after all..._

_Until next time,_

_Calliope_

_1994_

* * *

"So you're going out with Cedric now?" Abby queried, leaning back on her seat to whisper to me.

"Yep," I replied, nodding my head, unable to keep the smile from my face. We were in History of Magic and it was one of the few classes were we all were together without the boys or any exes as we took the class with the Slytherins.

"And you're certain that you're actually going out with him; not like with Roger?" Abby pressed on, that frown not leaving her forehead.

"Yes!" I laughed, adding. "He most definitely asked me to be his girlfriend at the end of the date."

"That's brilliant Chrissie," Tess squealed, sitting next to me as she flung her arms around me and proceeded to jump up and down in her chair. she was quickly shushed by the three of us and told to be quiet by a droning Professor Binns.

"Hey Chrissie," Jackie began, her forehead wrinkling for a moment. "Isn't this your third Quidditch Captain you're going out with?"

Abby grinned devilishly and Tess' eyes grew wide as saucers at Jackie's remark. The redhead in question was trying to suppress a smile all the while retying her ponytail. _The wench had done it on purpose! _I glowered at her and then focused my attention on Abby and Tess, who were going to have so much fun at my expense, _I could just feel it!_

"You know my dear Abigail, I think Chrissie might have a type," Tess proclaimed grandly, jutting her chin up into the air as if she was some kind of a princess. I had to snort at that, because Tess was about as common as you could be. The girl had never even heard of the Wizarding Opera until third year.

"Really?" Abby replied, surprise filling her voice, playing along. "I never would have guessed. What gave it away; was it Chrissie running after Oliver because he's a Quidditch Captain or her dalliance with Roger Davies?"

"Okay I get it!" I laughed, holding my hands up in the air. "My obsession with the sport has moved over into the boys I'm interested in."

"What will you do when you and Cedric break up?" Tess queried, brow furrowed in thought.

"Hey, at least give us a chance!" I exclaimed, a little annoyed that the girls were so pessimistic about my love life. Okay so I didn't have the best track record and this year I'd been unable to sustain a relationship for longer than two months, but it wasn't all my fault.

"Well there's only Marcus Flint left after Cedric, right?" Jackie added. Tess nodded her head at her best friend, a grin on her face because Jackie had finally remembered a piece of gossip that Tess had tried to imprint on her brain.

"Dear sweet Merlin, as if I'd ever go anywhere near that buffoon!" I cried out, which caused Binns to shush us once more and call me Carolina in the process. The Slytherins in the class guffawed along and I was annoyed to see even Sally-Anne and Denise were grinning.

"I don't know. You might grow desperate once all the other Quidditch captains have dried up," Tess said, letting the sentence drag out, a smirk on her face.

"Plus by that point Flint might have heard about your little preference for captains and start chasing after you," Jackie spoke and all four of us turned in our seats to glance at Flint sitting in the corner of the classroom. The boy in question was shaking his quill and causing large blotches of ink of small onto his school jumper and parchment, a frown marring his disfigured features.

"Can you imagine that bloke on top of you?" Abby mused, as ever unable to control the words that came out of her mouth. We all shuddered at the thought and turned back to each other.

"You always go to far Abbs, always way too far." I declared and Tess nodded her head emphatically.

"Yeah the line was like here," Tess added, drawing an imaginary line between the both of us. "And you're on the other side of the room."

"Girls let's not loose sight of the point of this conversation," Abby said, raising her eyebrow at me. "Let's all get back to Chrissie wanting to ride the entire four Quidditch teams here."

"True," Tess and Jackie nodded and I sighed, dropping my head into my arms. My friends were impossible.

* * *

Wednesday evening I could be found meandering through the empty Hogwarts corridors in my warmest winter cloak and jeans, but I wasn't being a loner. Instead I was accompanied by one very handsome Cedric Diggory, who not only was keeping me company and entertaining me with humorous anecdotes from his past, but would occasionally brush against my hands and make my entire body tingle.

It was proving quite difficult focusing on the conversation with his light touches and his smile, and I was starting to worry that I would become nothing more than a simpering idiot.

"Do you bother with New Year's resolutions?" I asked him the question that had been going through my head for the last week.

"Yeah," Cedric replied simply and I glanced up at him, willing him on. "I give myself a mantra for the upcoming year so I won't forget and I've got something to aim for."

"And what was yours this year?" I pressed him and noticed that his entire body was focused on me. We stopped in the middle of the corridor, somewhere on the fourth floor and Cedric turned around to face me, standing incredibly close.

His hand went to a loose strand of hair that was being incredibly unreasonable and tucked it gently behind my ear before proclaiming, "My New Year's resolution was to ask you out."

"It was?" I asked, tone filled with disbelief. He nodded at me, that grin of his growing wide and showing off his perfect teeth.

"That's really sweet," I breathed, gazing up at his with wide eyes. The more time I spent in his company the more perfect he seemed, and the more I thought about it the more unreal this entire scenario seemed. I pinched my right arm and let out a string of curse words as Cedric gazed perplexed at me.

"What was that for?" he asked, his voice showing his curiosity.

"Just wanted to check it was all still real," I replied, not looking up as I rubbed my arm ferociously, but it was still pretty painful.

"And is it?" he chuckled.

"Well my arm hurts like a bitch, so it's gotta be, right?" Cedric chuckled at me and leaned in for a kiss, taking me completely by surprise. That was the thing I liked the most about this boy. He was so incredibly sweet, but could still take my breath away. Really, I was in quite some danger of being hooked.

* * *

"There is something you have to accept about me," I said solemnly, sitting up straight at the desk in an empty classroom on a Thursday evening. Cedric and I had ended up in here, not only because it was empty, but because twice already had Peeves interrupted us while we were snogging. At first it had been embarrassing, but the second time it was quickly becoming quite annoying and I had shot a curse in his direction while Cedric dragged me off. Currently we had abandoned the wall and our snogging sessions and were instead conversing quietly amongst ourselves.

"And what is that?" Cedric inquired, leaning in closer and planting a feather light kiss on my lips. I smiled, but let my face grow serious again as I glanced up at his dark grey eyes. I pulled my forgotten schoolbag closer to my feet and pulled out the Muggle wireless radio that had been enchanted to receive a signal even through the strong magical interference at Hogwarts. I sat it down on top of the wooden high table where we were sitting at and turned on the dial. At first nothing but static came out, so I fiddled with the knob and prodded it with my wand a few times until a random song from a Muggle pop band came blaring out of the speakers.

"What kind of music is that?" Cedric asked, his brow furrowing in confusion as he stayed quiet and listened to the catchy and upbeat song. The chorus finished and he glanced from the wireless and back up at me.

"It's Muggle music," I replied simply, watching that confused frown being replaced by a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

He began to laugh and added, "Well if that's the worst, then I'm not worried!" I just frowned at him. "Seriously, you had me worried that I'd have to put up with a girlfriend whose incredibly hormonal or you've got a father that wants to kill me or something!" Cedric laughed and I prodded him in the arm.

"Hey!" I pouted at him. "I was being perfectly serious. Not many people get my obsession with Muggle music and most just think I'm crazy."

"Chrissie," Cedric began, his voice placating, as he took my face in his hands and kissed me lightly. "I think it's cute and perfectly matches your character and I promise not to think you're crazy. How about that?"

"Alright," I replied, mollified and I grudgingly returned the smile he was sending my way.

"Now, have you got any good Muggle bands on that thing?" Cedric queried, bumping his shoulder against mine and I aimed my wand at the wireless radio and promptly changed the station until it settled on something we could both listen to, which eventually ended up being a song by Queen that both amazed and fascinated Cedric. He bopped his head along to the catchy melody and tried to sing along to the chorus, but failed miserably, which only caused me to smile more at him.

"Come on, songs are meant to be danced to, whether they're Muggle or Wizarding," Cedric promptly declared, jumping up from his chair, grabbing my hand and pulling me onto my feet. I let out a squeal, nearly toppling over, but Cedric quick reflexes caught me in his arms and I smiled shyly up at him. He gently took my other hand and danced with me in the middle of the empty and darkening classroom, his hand resting gently on my lower back.

I glanced up at him and saw that his eyes had darkened a little and there was an intense gaze on his face. He leaned down and captured my lips in a sensuous kiss that soon grew more intense. My hands threaded through his dark hair as he pulled me flush against his chest, that elicited a light squeal from me.

We stood like that for a few minutes, gently swaying to the beat, that had changed to a mellow song and snogging with all our might. The kiss itself was becoming quite heated, and we stumbled rather awkwardly towards a desk, which we hit with a bump and a laugh. Cedric's hands were holding my face and my heart was thumping away to the beat of the song.

"Peeves, you bastard!" a voice roared out and we jumped apart, flushed and out of breath, looking around to see where the yell had come from. We listened as the thundering sound of footsteps made their way down the corridor outside our classroom and Cedric sent a bashful smile my way.

"Well that ruined the moment," I let out, running a hand through my wild hair in an attempt to coerce it to lie flat again after Cedric had made such a mess of it.

"Come here," Cedric spoke, his voice a few decibels lower and with with a throaty husk. He wrapped an arm around my waist and grinned down at me. "I've never let Peeves stop me from anything before, and I'm not about to now." He captured my lips once more and I lost myself in his arms.

* * *

"Go, go Gryffindor!" Abby and I chanted into the noisy crowd of the rapidly filling stands of the Quidditch pitch. It was a Saturday morning, the sun shining bright and clear, the wind having died down and the snow was sparkling under the bright light. Abby and I had taken up our usual spot in the middle of the Gryffindor stands, ready for the day's game of Slytherin versus Ravenclaw that would decide whether we still had a chance or not.

The obsessed Quidditch fans in both of us had come out that morning and we were decked head to toe in crimson and gold, topped off with our Gryffindor scarves. While that image itself might not be very usual; we done this for every Gryffindor game, the fact that a rather apprehensive Cedric Diggory was sitting next to me, was. He had insisted on wearing his Hufflepuff scarf and Abby and I had spent the last ten minutes, in between cheers and boos as both teams had yet to come out of their lockers, trying to persuade him to drop his traitorous colours and join our side.

"You are aware, that this is Ravenclaw and Slytherin, right?" Cedric queried, watching us with alarm as we continued chanting for Gryffindor. Abby raised an eyebrow at him, and I sighed.

"Cedric, this is just something we do. We cheer for Gryffindor, even if they aren't playing."

"But why don't you just support Ravenclaw?" he pressed, bewilderment watched all over his face.

"What would be the point in that?" I queried, but Abby interrupted me.

"Also because Chrissie's ex is playing for Ravenclaw and we hate him." She said this so simply and with such ease, the second of Cedric's eyebrows raised at that.

I blushed and sent a warning glare in Abby's direction. "Shut up Abbs!"

"I understand," Cedric replied warmly, dropping the subject, which I was very grateful for.

"As for cheering for Gryffindor, come to the dark side. We have girls and way more booze!" I giddily spoke, laughing as I prodded him lightly in the side. He grinned back at me, and asserted he was quite happy keeping on the Hufflepuff colours, and as team captain it really wouldn't look right if he abandoned them so easily.

"Psssh!" Abby retorted, snorting at him, but then her attention was pulled away from Cedric as the Slytherin team made their way out of the locker rooms and made their way towards the waiting Ravenclaw team in the middle of the pitch.

Both Abby and I were momentarily distracted by the presence of the Slytherin team and we let out loud boos and taunts, waiting until both captains had shaken hands and flown into the skies before we sat back down again and focused on Cedric.

"Right Abbs, I think we need to do something about that scarf," I nodded at my friend, who was sitting on the other side of Cedric. We grinned at each other and tackled a surprised Cedric, who let out a yelp in the process. In record time we had pried the Hufflepuff scarf from his neck and wrapped him with both of our Gryffindor ones, so that he could barely see and looked absolutely ridiculous.

"That's so much better," Abby said happily and we grinned at a sighing Cedric, who was pulling the scarves down a little so he could breath properly.

We were momentarily distracted by the match when Draco Malfoy, having seen the snitch dived for it, only to be stopped by one Cho Chang. Once normal play resumed, we turned back to Cedric, who was watching the game intently.

_What was it with Quidditch captains and obsessing over the strategies of the other teams?_

"We are so going to win the Cup this year!" I proclaimed confidently, keeping my gaze on the game in front of us and watching as a Ravenclaw beater whacked the Bludger away to the other side of the pitch.

"I wouldn't be so sure. Hufflepuff has some skills!" Cedric retorted and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Honestly Cedric, you're covered in Gryffindor scarves, are sitting rather deep in enemy territory and hanging out with two of the biggest fans in the school. Is that really such a good idea?"

Cedric chuckled in reply. "I suppose there's really no point arguing this with you, is there?"

"Nope!" I cried, grinning at him as I shook my head and sent my wild mane into the wind. the loose tendrils kept hitting me in the face, and I impatiently pushed it out of my eyes, to no avail. The bite in the air was starting to get to me, and I began shivering lightly, pulling my hands into the sleeves of the jacket and huddling closer to Cedric's warm form.

Twenty feet above us, Roger Davies made another run for the goals, carrying the Quaffle under one arm, only to be blocked by Marcus Flint, and the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw stands around us let out groans of frustration and annoyance.

"You cold?" Cedric muttered, leaning in close to me and I nodded my head at him, smiling sheepishly.

"I wish Jackie was here to put a warming charm on my clothes to help with the cold, but she's determined never to go to another match after the last one," I replied, blushing lightly by Cedric's strong gaze on my face.

"Come here," he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close to him. The gesture, more than the body heat was making me warm, but at that point I didn't care as I grinned stupidly up at the handsome Hufflepuff I could now call my boyfriend.

The thought still gave me a thrill and I beamed up at him, feeling incredibly content and comfortable.

I took the moment, while Cedric and Abby were busy following the match intently to study my new boyfriend. What had initially been a courtship filled with wariness, had blossomed into something quite sweet and comforting. It had been a long while since I had actually dated a guy just to get to know him; the last being my ex boyfriend James. Cedric, who I had initially only intended on going out on one or two dates with, had managed to win me over. That in itself proved to be quite a feat, considering my previous experiences with Hogwarts boys, but he had proven himself to be the antithesis to every bloke I had ever been out with before. He wasn't egotistical like James, indecisive like Wood or as cowardly as Roger. In fact, while I had despaired of developing a type after Roger, Cedric seemed to be breaking that mould.

He was so incredibly kind and attentive; he showed no hidden agendas and didn't push me or the relationship. He was a true gentleman, and I relished the thought of taking this relationship slowly and seeing where it goes.

"A Knut for your thoughts," Cedric smiled at me, bumping his shoulder against me.

I smiled warmly up at him and lightly shook my head. "I was just thinking about Quidditch," I lied easily and Cedric let out an easy laugh at the sound of my response and pulled me in closer for a kiss.

"Guys!" Abby cried out impatiently. "There's a match going on here!" Cedric and I rolled our eyes at Abby's brusque nature and turned our attention back to a riveting game.

* * *

Later that day, after we watched with dismay Slytherin narrowly beating Ravenclaw in the last hour of the match, we left Cedric behind in the Entrance Hall and disheartened made our way back to the Gryffindor common room. Abby and I weren't the best at academics, so it took us quite a while to calculate and realise that by having Ravenclaw lose, we were still in with a chance of winning the Cup, so by the time we made it back into the common room our spirits were considerably lightened.

"Where are Tess and Jackie? I haven't seen them all day," I queried, turning my head over to look at Abby slouched on the sofa next to me.

She shrugged her shoulders, not looking up from her Quidditch magazine and replied, "Bonding probably. Tess did say something about wanting to use the time to do something fun while the match was on."

"So, the 7C party is still on for tonight?" I asked her, shifting in my seat as I was starting to get a little bored just sitting in the common room doing nothing.

"Yeah," Abby replied, still engrossed in the magazine and some players' stats of the new transfers. "It's Hufflepuffs' turn to host it, and they wanna do a Welcome Back do, which frankly to me seems a little cliché."

I pulled my legs up and began fiddling with the laces on my heavy boots when the common room burst open and an irate half of the Gyrffindor team came storming in.

"Oliver, you have got to be serious!" Alicia Spinnet declared shrilly, her angry voice reverberating through the crowded common room. For lack of anything better to do, I shifted around on my seat and propped myself against the back of the couch, ready to watch the scene unfold where no doubt a Gryffindor team member might actually try and kill Wood.

"I am Alicia. You saw the match. Slytherin just barely won against Ravenclaw. We're still in with a chance of winning the Cup, the next match is against Ravenclaw and you know they're not going to go easy on us," Wood retorted, striding purposefully into the room and making his way towards an empty table, where he promptly opened up his school bag and dumped a whole load of charts and players' moves on the table.

"Yes, I understand, but why five nights a week?" she persisted and Angelina, who I hadn't seen up until this point nodded her head furiously, her braids shaking from side to side.

"Because that is the only way we are going to beat them."

"Some of us actually have a social life and school, and like something called sleep!" Alicia yelled at him, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the Scot, who had sat down at the table by this point and started scanning the charts.

Wood glanced up, pinching the bridge of his nose and replied, his tone sharp and filled with irritation. "Do you want to win against Ravenclaw?"

"Yes, but -"

"Then it's five nights a week," Wood replied brusquely and he quickly got up from his seat, gathered all his parchment in his arms and hoisted the bag onto his shoulder. "That's the new training schedule. I'll see you at seven tonight." With that he made his way up the staircase and into the boys' dormitory.

"That boy is such an idiot!" Alicia declared angrily, stomping her foot in rage as Angelina placed a placating hand on her shoulder. "And I was meant to go on a date tonight!"

I felt sorry for Alicia and Angelina; they were lovely girls and they shouldn't have to deal with Wood's pig headedness, but at the same time it wasn't like I could do anything about it either. I waved to Angelina on the other side of the room and she smiled back and me, tapped Alicia on the arm and they both made their way over to me.

"Tough deal," I sympathised and Alicia grimaced, while Angelina shrugged her shoulders, letting out a sigh.

"I guess there goes any hopes of getting good OWLs," Angelina sighed and plopped down on the arm of the sofa Abby and I were sitting on. Abby glanced up from her magazine to quickly say hello to the two girls, before disappearing back behind it again.

"That boy has such a large stick up his arse! No wonder he's called Wood!" Alicia thundered and I chuckled at that.

"Chrissie, can't you go talk to him or something? He listens to you, or at the very least he might consider something you say to him," Angelina pleaded, her dark eyes begging me for help.

"I'm sorry girls, there's nothing I can do. Wood and I aren't friends anymore, so whatever influence you guys think I have over him is gone," I responded, sending them both sympathetic smiles.

"But he would always listen to you!" Alicia remarked with certainty.

"I highly doubt that!" I chuckled and then explained. "We got into a fight and we're not friends anymore, so I'm sorry."

"Oh," the girls replied, looking crestfallen at the thought of training five nights a week.

"Is that why George got such a bollocking from Oliver at training when he insinuated Oliver needed a good shag from you?" Alicia asked and Angelina elbowed her in the side, giving her a filthy look.

I rolled my eyes at the comment. I didn't know the twins that well, but it sounded like them. "Yes that ought to be it. Although do tell George Weasley I don't appreciate him talking about me like that. He may be one half of the biggest jokers ever to go through this school, but I'm still older than him."

"Sorry," Alicia proclaimed sheepishly, but I laughed and told them I wasn't offended.

"Oh, by the way. I heard about you and Cedric Diggory. Congratulations; that boy is damn fine!" Angelina proclaimed, whistling at the thought of my very handsome boyfriend.

I blushed and tried to hold back my smile. "He is, isn't he?" I chuckled and the girls bid me farewell, leaving Abby and I alone on the sofa once more.

* * *

The first 7C party of the year turned out to be a messy one. In fact, it turned out be quite a rowdy affair, with everyone letting loose and going bloody mental; and I loved every minute of it!

I was dressed to kill in a very bright tube skirt and matching striped red top with Abby, Jackie and Tess by my side as we meandered our way through the crowded Come-and-Go room. The music was blaring some new hits from The Weird Sisters and Tess was shimmying her hips along to the beat. I had hoped to sneak Cedric in earlier, but Abby had dashed those dreams when she insisted she couldn't pull any strings for a sixth year. I had left him that evening with a very cryptic response to spending some girly time with the girls and thankfully he hadn't pressed me on it.

"Magda, Magda!" the very raucous crowd cheered, having formed a circle around a tiny girl with black hair and frumpy clothes that was in the process of downing a series of Firewhiskey shots, next to a table laden with alcoholic drinks. We paused with equal grins on our faces as we watched the small Slytherin seventh year down shot after shot, steam coming out of her ears in the process.

In fact, this girl wasn't the only Slytherin who was going absolutely mental. Either they decided to take that stick out of their asses or were just celebrating their win, but everywhere I looked there was a Slytherin either completely hammered, falling down, making a fool out of themselves or, in the case of my arch nemesis; Michaela Witcher, throwing up in the corner.

I elbowed Abby next to me and pointed in the general direction of Michaela, her hair being held back by one of her friends and we both grinned.

"Looks like the bitch can't handle her drink," Abby snorted and I smiled gleefully. I knew I shouldn't be revelling in another's misery, but schadenfroh be damned. This was hilarious!

"I don't think I've ever seen the Slytherins act this wild before!" I yelled into Abby's ear and she nodded her head.

"My spies tell me, they got a whole stash of Firewhiskey and have been drinking in their common room for the last five hours!" Tess declared loudly and I was barely able to make out her words over the din.

"You gotta hand it to them; the majority might be a bunch of assholes, but they sure know how to party!" I retorted and we gingerly made our way through the crowd again, finally reaching the safety of the couches in the back of the room. Thankfully it was a little quieter and emptier in this part, and I gazed around to see that the room had changed shape again, resembling a large cavern. The girls plonked themselves down a corner that had blankets and pillows strewn on the ground, making themselves comfortable.

"Chrissie?" Abby queried, from where she was lying on the ground in between Jackie and Tess.

"Hang on a minute guys, I'm gonna go find Karine," I replied, smiling at the girls and making my way into the throng once more. If at all possible, the crowd had gotten more loud and excitable, jumping up and down to the music and I was jostled from side to side.

After five minutes of trying to find Karine, I was about to give up and return to the girls, when Harvey Ryan, the seventh year Hufflepuff and Cedric's friend held a hand out and pulled me through a group of girls dancing.

"Oh thank Merlin!" I exclaimed, a little breathless, pushing my hair out of my face. It was becoming very hot and sticky in the Come-and-Go room and my hair was sticking to my face. "I thought I was going to be crushed in there!"

Harvey laughed and gently led me out of the crowd. "No problem Chrissie. So how are you liking our little shindig?"

I grinned at him and looked around, surveying the room, filled to the brim with seventh years that were noisily singing along to the songs, dancing animatedly and getting into all sorts of trouble.

"It's bloody brilliant!"

We finally made it out of the large party and I was surprised when Harvey and I bumped into Wood. I took a deep breath and glanced up at the tall Scot in front of me. He was avoiding eye contact with me and I noticed how he kept fidgeting with the collar of his navy shirt. He looked strange dressed up in smart trousers and his hair combed back.

"Oliver, mate," Harvey spoke easily, shaking hands with Wood and I wondered briefly if Wood was friends with everyone in this school apart from me. That thought quickly vanished when he replied to Harvey and then glanced up at me.

"Margate," he spoke simply and I met his gaze with a fierce one of my own.

"Wood," I replied in the same tone, jutting out my chin in an attempt to show I wasn't intimidated by his presence.

"Hold on Chrissie, I gotta catch up with Katherina," Harvey uttered and gave a quick nod to Wood before he dashed off into the crowd once more, chasing after a pretty blonde girl with mahogany dark hair. I watched his retreating back, when I was startled out of my thoughts by the sound of his voice.

"How were your holidays?" Wood inquired, his voice devoid of emotion. I frowned at him, not quite sure why he was still here or talking to me.

"Fine, and yours?"

"Same," he responded gruffly and I could feel his hard gaze upon my face so I pulled my eyes back up at him and returned the glare. We stood like that for a few minutes, neither saying a word and daring the other to break the silence first.

"Was there anything else?" I asked, a bite to my tone and I could hear him gritting his teeth in annoyance. It gave me a sickening sort of satisfaction, seeing how easily he got riled up by me.

"You always have to be such a bitch, Margate, don't you?" he ground out, words laced with acid and I glared fiercely at him, crossing my arms across my chest.

"For your information Wood, I was just trying to move the bloody conversation along! Merlin, do you always have your knickers in such a twist?" I arched an eyebrow at him and sneered with satisfaction when I saw a vein throbbing in his temple.

"This is what I get for trying to be reasonable with you, but that always was impossible!" Wood snipped back angrily, also crossing his arms across his chest.

"You're the impossible one here!" I yelled out and poked him in the chest with my index finger. I dropped the hand and sighed, running my hands into my hair as I let out a deep breath.

"We can't keep doing this Wood," I sighed, pushing my hair out of my face and looking up at the bloke in front of me. "There's a reason why we shouldn't be friends."

"You're fucking right about that!" Wood snorted, laughing to himself. I sighed; this was probably the best reaction I could have hoped for.

"Well there's something we can agree on at least!" I exclaimed and Wood nodded his head. "I'm gonna go now," I added and Wood nodded his head once. I left him standing at the edge of the dance floor and made my way back to the girls.

The funny thing was; that had been the only thing Wood and I could agree on in a long, long time. We had spent so much time bickering and arguing that it just wasn't possible to be friends anymore and we were both tired with trying the whole time. There was just too much water under the bridge and we both needed to move on. It didn't help though that talking to Wood still made my palms sweaty, or set my heartbeat racing, and I couldn't just blame it on him being handsome. I hated that he had a physical effect on me even a month later; had we both agreed to not have anything more to do with the other?

Fresh starts are a brilliant concept; the idea that we can leave our past mistakes behind and start anew, but the reality is so much more difficult. The truth is fresh starts are hard and not everyone wants them. We are incapable of letting go so easily and even though Wood and I could agree on not being friends, we couldn't even have one decent conversation before another argument erupted.

Sometimes there's just too much resentment in the air to ever get your fresh start and that is something they don't tell you about on New Year's Day. Wood and I were like that, and while I knew our assertion to be true, in the darkest corners of my mind I wasn't quite ready to let go.

In the end that's what stops us after all - the ability to truly move on.

* * *

**A/N's: Now before you guys feel the need to kill me for not putting Wood and Chrissie together already I'm sorry! There is a grand plan here and all I will say on the topic is that this is like **_**Pride and Prejudice**_**; everyone knows what the ending is gonna be, it's the journey that I'm telling here. We all know that Chrissie and Wood are meant to be together, but they're not as smart as you and I so they need a little more time to come to this realisation.**

**As for Cedric; I'm not a hundred per cent happy about how he's coming off in this chapter. I suppose, I like Chrissie, am still trying to figure him out. Hopefully he will look more human in the next chapter.**

**As for the next chapter; this is one I've been particularly excited and nervous about. It's gonna be a departure from the standard model and I'm going to try something new. It's probably also gonna be the only chapter that will be AU. I hope you guys will love it as much as I love the idea. That's all I'm gonna say on it now.**

**As always, please review and know I love you guys.**

**Agrolass**

**xxx**


	11. Fear Rules

**_Chapter 11; Fear Rules_**

If you had one moment, one opportunity to go back in your life and change something, would you choose it? And if you went down that road would you still make the same decisions. Would you take it or just let it slip?

We are all victims of chance, circumstances and our own decisions, but in a world that is so like our own and yet so different in so many ways, would life still unfold the same?

* * *

And with a rush, all my senses came tumbling back to me; the cracking of the twigs underneath my feet, the deep rumbling of the thunder, only half a mile away from me as it chased after the bright flash of lightning and the feeling that I wasn't alone.

My heart skipped a beat and I turned around to get my bearings, but in the darkness of the Forbidden Forest that was an impossible task.

_Crack!_

The distant sound of twigs breaking had me on edge as I spun around wildly, looking for the intruder upon my senses, but I saw nothing.

Flailing in the murkiness around me, I stumbled on a rock and fell to the ground with a soft thud. Hoisting myself up slowly, I felt a tree behind me and splayed my arms on it, keeping my back to it as I glanced around in the gloom.

_Crack, crack!_

The noise had me jumping out of my skin, thudding heartbeat and hands devoid of a wand I peered into the blackness and called out nervously.

"Who's there?"

The commotion grew louder as the rustling of branches joined the sound of cracking twigs and I dropped silently to the ground, picking up the largest rock I could find and cradling it in my shaking hands. I stood up once more and took a deep calming breath as a shadowy figure approached me in the gloom, its silhouette only visibly for a few seconds in the flash of lightning.

"Stay away," my voice wavered and I suppressed a tremble as I added, "or I'll… I'll hurt you!"

* * *

It was exactly two things that awoke me on the Sunday night. I opened my eyes; bleary from the deep sleep I had been in moments before and gazed about in the darkness of the seventh year dormitory. The first thing that struck me was the fierce howling of the wind outside, the glass panes shaking with the sound and low whistle of cold air forcing its way through cracks in the window was matched with the loud clamour of the icy wind bashing against the thick brick walls of Gryffindor Tower. The second thing that struck me was the horrifying cold; seeping through every item of clothing that I was wearing and freezing me to the bone. I was used to the cold Scottish winters found on the highlands, however much I despised them, but this was worse; it was more piercing and had a menacing touch to it.

I fumbled around in the darkness, fingers crawling across the nightstand on my right in an attempt to locate my wand, and when my fingertips finally clenched around the narrow ivy wood I let out a sigh of relief. The right hand darted back into the safety of the covers, where what little warmth generated from my body heat could still be found.

Shivers were cascading up and down my back as I tried to hold my hand still and utter out the words without my teeth chattering, but it took a few minutes before I was successfully able to pull it off.

Instantly warmth enveloped my body, rushing upwards from my toes through my torso as the cold was banished from each successive limb. I slowly drifted into a contented slumber as the memory of the biting cold outside my duvet became but a distant dream.

* * *

The memory of the cold on Sunday night should have been a distant memory; instead the icy chill I felt that night in my bed was here to stay. It snowed quite heavily Wednesday night and I watched it from the windowsill in the common room as fat, heavy flakes flew past the tiny stained glass window on their long way to the ground. We awoke on Thursday morning to a strange half-light, and upon closer inspection found that the window ledge outside was so covered in snow, that half of the window was obscured by it.

Everyone was feeling particularly grumpy that cold winter morning, especially when the hot tea and coffee started running out. Abby and Jackie next to me where having a loud argument over who should get the last cup of tea left in the pot, while I was jealously cradling my cup that I had robbed from the pot on the Hufflepuff table.

No-one was looking forward to spending the double first class in History of Magic since Binns as a ghost did not recognise the need for heating, so it was with equal amounts of curiosity and relief that Professor Dumbledore stood up at the head table and called on everyone's attention in his booming authoritative voice.

"Students, as you may be aware we have had particularly nasty weather this week and because of the amount of snow that fell last night all outdoor classes will be cancelled for the foreseeable future."

Half the students in the Great Hall let out a great cheer at the sound of the news, while Professor McGonagall, in an incredibly irate tone, told everyone to quieten down. I grinned and turned to face the girls, as we planned what to do with the double free period we would have for Herbology.

"Quiet everyone!" McGonagall rang out and we pulled our heads up, each wearing similar confused expressions at what else the Professors would announce today.

"Since the weather has cancelled a few classes, we will have a special class in its place. I will be passing out a schedule for each year, so please observe when your class is on and remember this class is not optional. I will expect everyone to attend!" She walked down the steps, her heavy cloak billowing behind her as she made her way down the different house tables, handing out the new timetable.

When I received mine, I saw with a sigh that it had replaced our cancelled Herbology class.

"Did you see when ours is on?" I remarked to the girls, folding up the parchment and storing it in my cloak inner pocket.

"There's worse; we're with the bloody Slytherins!" Abby groaned and I dropped my head onto the wooden table, letting out a long grumble of obscenities that made Tess' eyebrows to shoot up.

All incredibly irritated, we grudgingly trudged up to the fourth floor and the freezing cold double we would have in History of Magic.

* * *

That afternoon after plenty of grumblings about the unfairness of being given another class on a subject we wouldn't even have for our N.E.W.T.s, the class filed into McGonagall's Transfiguration classroom and the girls and I sat at our old tables in the middle of the room. Standing upright on McGonagall's desk was a dark mirror that almost didn't reflect at all with a crudely carved black frame of granite that shone from the sunlight streaming in from the high windows.

I elbowed Jackie sitting next to me, and asked her, "What is that mirror for?" She in turn shrugged her shoulders, at a loss herself as to what it could be and we quietened down when McGonagall came striding into her classroom, closing the door behind her.

"How many of you are Muggle-born?" she asked the class, and we glanced back at her confused. A few including Jackie raised their hands tentatively into the air, after a minute and McGonagall nodded her head once.

"How many of you would be aware of Muggle physics?" she added on and even less raised their hands; in fact it was only Jackie and Anne Marie Peakes, a fellow Gryffindor seventh year that did this time.

"What I am going to teach you today is very similar to Muggle quantum mechanics and while I doubt any of you studied it before coming to Hogwarts, it has a lot more meaning in the Wizarding world," McGonagall stated out loud, then turned her back to us and using her wand drew a rough picture of intersecting circles on the blackboard.

"This is considered on the fringe end of Wizarding Theories as it's very difficult to prove and reproduce. Most don't even believe whether the phenomenon exists, as it is impossible to determine and quantify." McGonagal walked back towards her desk and rested her hands lightly on the mirror we had all been enthralled with – this dark and seemingly innocent mirror that seemed to suck our attention into its abyss.

"The reason I am showing this to you now, is because we have a rare opportunity to experience this phenomenon as the mirror needs a lot of magical energy in the air to make a connection to the other side, far more than is found at the usual magical sites like Hogwarts," McGonagall spoke on, and then turned her back on the class once more and with her wand charmed some notes on the board in front of her.

"What you see on my desk is a mirror called the '_Speculum Infernum_' and to put it bluntly it allows you to look into another world."

The collective atmosphere in the room changed within a nanosecond, as every student sat up straighter in their seat, eyes glued on McGonagall and drinking in every word she uttered. I myself was utterly hooked. I glanced between our Head of House and the mirror on her desk, wondering how something so small and dark could let you look into another world. It seemed fantastical beyond belief, but the energy and aura it gave off was too strong to dispute. It consumed you and I was hooked.

* * *

I couldn't understand it; why hadn't I been able to see?

McGonagall had given the class a chance to peer into the mirror and see if they were able to glimpse into the other world, and while every single student in front of me had at least been given a partial view of what sounded like an amazing experience, I had seen nothing! In fact, all I had seen were swirling dark clouds on the impenetrable black surface.

There I stood, for almost ten minutes solid willing this damned mirror to give up its secrets and show my heart what it so desperately wanted to see, but it was obstinatly refusing to comply. The giggles and snorts from the Slytherins were audible in the background, as were the mutterings from my fellow Gryffindors.

I could still hear McGonagall's voice in my ear, her voice sighing with exasperation and asking me to return to my seat. Here I was the only student in her class again who couldn't do a simple academic task. And what was stranger; it bothered more than I was used to. I had long ago given up any desire for a stellar academic career. The scholastics just couldn't hold my attention like something like Quidditch could. It had never bothered me before, and even if someone had jokingly commented that I must be quite dumb as a result, but for some reason this mirror was getting to me.

I remembered the sensation of standing in front of the dark mirror with the granite jagged frame, it's dark aura sucking me in; the heavy feeling in the air and the sheer magnetism it gave of. I also remembered the chill in the air - as if it was suffocating the air around it and the shiver that went rolling up and down my spine while crouched in front of it. Truthfully, I had been a little terrified of the mirror and what it could do; was that the reason why I couldn't see. But as I tried to reassure myself that the mirror couldn't harm me, my mind finally succumbed to sleep and the last image I had in my mind was of the swirling black clouds on that indestructible smooth surface.

...

There is something about the shimmering pool of dark water in front of me that I can't quite place. I have seen it before, felt its energy before but it eludes me. I am aware of the biting cold, nipping away at my exposed arms and the biting, hard snow under my bare feet and for a moment I wonder why I amn't dressed more. But the black vortex in front of me pulls my attention away from the snow, or the cold and I feel my feet moving of their own accord closer and closer to it. With every inch I lose to the dark vortex fear begins to surround my heart, suffocating it of air and sending tremors down my spine, arms and legs. It is paralysing without restricting as I feel myself pulled towards the wall of shimmering black water.

I awake again with a start, eyes opening and immediately closing because of the blinding white light, hands shielding and body readjusting to the change in temperature. Slowly my eyes flutter open again, as my hands lower to the side and I am aware that I amn't in the same place anymore. The light, that had at first seemed so bright and blinding is growing muted and takes on a greyish tinge, as if one is looking through shaded sunglasses. The swirling nothingness that surrounds me condenses and forms into solid objects and it takes me another minute to realise that I am standing in a hallway of Hogwarts castle. At least, I assume it is Hogwarts, for the air feels unfamiliar, the stone floor is darkened terracotta instead of the usual granite and the shape of the corridor is of a corridor I have never seen before. My feet begin walking of their own accord once again and they lead me down the hallway, past a junction and before I have time to figure out where they could possibly be taking me, the hallway opens up into a cavernous hall.

The Entrance Hall is not the one I'm used to; there is no marble staircase in sight and as I peer up at the high domed roof, I notice that the large hourglass holding the separate House colour gems is made of hematite and not gold, and the gems held within it are of different colours.

I hear a loud ruckus from behind me and turn around in time to see the heavy mahogany wooden doors open wide, students spilling out into the calm of the deserted Entrance Hall.

They are more grotesque than I could have imagined, their limbs long and lean, their skin a greyish tinge and faces drooping. My eyes go wide and I suppress a cry, as I start backing away from them, not quite sure what or who they are.

I watch in quiet terror how their limbs move as if they aren't their own; like puppets controlled by a master, strings as invisible as their intent. Leading the pack are a girl with unruly dark blonde hair and a tall ochre-haired boy with eyes as piercingly green as anything. The other versions of Wood and myself are what terrify me the most, for their eyes are large and they let out a scream that went to my bones.

"We are not you! We are not like you!" they chant, their voices high and screeching, echoing through the cavernous hall, bouncing off the walls and seemingly trembling from within. They march towards me, repeating their chant and with every utterance it grows louder as more and more voices join the throng.

Cold, nauseating fear begins to grip me, as panic spreads through my body, infusing itself into every limb and the urge to run grows stronger and stronger with every moment that passes. My heart is thudding heavily against my ribcage, as my eyes scan the oncoming crowd marching ominously towards me and something tells me to run. I turn around and dart away, my legs taking me where I didn't know.

I hear their loud footsteps on the flagstones behind me, as I race through the unfamiliar corridors not sure where anything is anymore. Around me noises grow louder, as if someone has switched on all the sounds and my ears pick up the faint bars of a Muggle song I recognise. Ahead of me the corridor forks off into two different directions, but one of the corridors is already blocked. The throng have splintered and are coming at me from two sides now. I hesitate for a moment, unsure what to do, feet planted firmly on the ground, but body itching to run away. I weigh out my options and quickly make a run for it, darting past the oncoming crowd, dodging hands and bodies - but not quick enough. One strong arm pulls me to the ground and I roll on the flagstones, momentarily stunned.

I watch as their terrifyingly deformed faces turn in my direction and quickly I pull myself up once more. I sprint down the only free corridor left and this time I hear the bars of the same Muggle song again. Taking this as a positive sign, I race towards the music, letting the melody grow louder as my heart thuds along to the beat and for a second I recognise _Hotel California_ among the loud screeching coming from behind me.

_And she said 'we are all just prisoners here, of our own device'..._

I run as fast as my limbs can take me, darting up and down staircases, through corridors but knowing that I cannot lose them - I can never lose them.

_And in the master's chambers, they gathered for the feast..._

I open my mouth to utter out a cry only to realise no sound is coming out. I slow down and grab my throat in an attempt to let out a scream but it just will not come.

_They stab it with their steely knives..._

They are advancing on me once more and I make a dash for it, turning left at the next corridor only to realise that I have hit a dead end. Breath panting, eyes wide with fear and the terror gripping my heart I turn around to face my fate.

_But they just can't kill the beast..._

* * *

I awaken with a start, eyes snapped open as my heart thudded painfully against my chest and it took me a second to realise where I am and why I'm not in the alien corridor anymore. My eyes scanned the seventh year dormitory in the darkness, drinking in what familiar features I could see and I slowly pulled the duvet down from my shoulders, fearing that this reality would slip away from me again.

My heart was still racing and my mind went back to the paralysing fear, as it relived the nightmare I had just experienced. It had felt so incredibly real and strange and alien that it was worse than any dream or nightmare I had ever experienced before. The harrowing nightmare was nothing like I had dreamt before, but what stuck with me the most, even ten minutes later was the ghastly faces of Wood and myself. Even as I rolled over and forced my body to go back into an unwilling sleep forty minutes later their faces still haunted me, with their grotesque faces, their long limbs and how it felt like they could look into my soul.

* * *

The weather was creeping me out.

It was the only thought that stuck on Friday afternoon, as I stood against a pillar in the desolate courtyard and watched the swirling fog, which had magically appeared as soon as dawn had broken over Hogwarts that morning and had not left since. The nightmare I had the night before had robbed me of my sleep, so I watched and waited for the early morning sun to wake me from the perpetual state of agitation the nightmare had put me in. Unfortunately the first rays of sunshine, which were usually able to cure me of most agitations, had never materialised and instead I was left with this half-light, and the feeling of claustrophobia that fog usually brought on.

There was something incredibly eerie about the haze covering Hogwarts in a blanket of misty white - almost like it was holding the normal world at bay and keeping everyone inside in a perpetual dream. The gale force wind that had been plaguing the castle for the last few days had dropped at some point in the night, leaving behind a deathly silence that seemed to penetrate right into the soul. It was unnerving in every way and a shiver ran down my spine at the thought of the murkiness hiding not only secrets, but darker things too.

I didn't know why I had made my way down to the empty courtyard while everyone else was still eating breakfast, but it had lured me with it's solidity and haunting aura. The lack of wind was also starting to bother me quite a bit; we were in the middle of the Scottish highlands, miles above sea level in the depth of winter and yet not a single blade of grass that poked out of the snow-covered lawn rustled before me. The gentle rushing noises that one usually associated with Hogwarts was gone and it was this absence that creeped me out, possibly more than the fog itself.

"Hey," a voice called out, and I startled, letting out a frightened yelp. I whirled around on the spot, wand in one hand and the other placed protectively over my erratically beating heart.

"Oh, Cedric!" I breathed out, a trembling breath released as I smiled at his approaching figure.

"What are you doing out here?" he inquired, his deep voice rumbling as he drew up beside me and gazed at me critically.

"I'm just watching the fog," I sighed, suddenly feeling all the exhaustion from the lack of sleep wash over me.

"Yeah?" he responded and then gazed out at the barren landscape in front of us, his weight resting against a column at the edge of the courtyard. "It's weird how the weather changed so quickly over the night."

"Yeah," I responded, pulling my eyes from him and gazing out into the swirling nothingness once more. "There's something that feels off about it, you know?" I inquired, gazing up at the tall Hufflepuff to see he was frowning into the fog.

"It'll probably just pass in a few days," he eventually replied and I nodded my head, my response sounding feeble. I wasn't quite sure if he could hear the disbelief in my voice; but no matter how much I tried to convince myself that Cedric was right, it just wouldn't stick.

"Come here," he spoke and a moment later his warm arms had enveloped me in a hug that I smiled into and returned. After a minute he finally let me go and I ducked my head down, my eyes being drawn to the mist once more.

"It'll be fine," he said and I nodded my head again, but I couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that something terribly bad was about to happen. No matter how many times I tried to convince myself I was just imagining things, it wouldn't leave me. Much like this fog that had enveloped Hogwarts and was holding on with an iron grip; my sub consciousness held on to the belief something was about to happen.

* * *

I awoke with a start, breath panting and heart beating erratically as my hands gripped at the duvet and my mind raced at what could have woken me up. I looked around the dark dormitory and saw that the girls were slumbering quietly in their respective beds; Abby's light snoring reminding me they were all fast asleep. I turn around in my bed, flipping the pillow over and closed my eyes as I tried to go back to sleep, but it was fleeting for me.

A bright light enveloped the dormitory followed by the sound of heavy thunder and I suddenly understood what had awoken me. I pulled the duvet up higher and turned the other way in my small bed, pulling the covers closed around me, but it was not enough to keep the storm out.

I spent the rest of the night tossing and turning as the lightening storm raged above and around us, seeping into my dreams that were turning more terrifying with every one.

* * *

"You will not believe this!" Tess declared loudly as she came barrelling into the dormitory, door banging closed behind her. Abby, Jackie and I looked up from our respective beds startled and Tess came to an almighty stop in the middle of the room, breath panting.

"Well?" Abby queried, ever the impatient one.

"Gimme a second!" Tess replied crossly, a hand on her ribs. She took a deep breath and fixed her gaze on Jackie and then myself before adding. "They're not letting anybody out of the castle anymore!"

"What?" Abby and I cried out at the same time.

"Whatever for?" Jackie asked a second later and Tess just shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not sure exactly why, but McGonagall said something about the weather being so bad. They're still down there right now."

It was all the information we needed as three girls quickly got up from their beds, threw on their shoes and jumpers and darted out of the dormitory.

We reached the Entrance Hall and were greeted by a crowd that had gathered around an irate McGonagall and a serene Dumbledore in front of the great oak doors. They were in the process of trying to calm and reassure an anxious crowd, but it wasn't going so well.

"Due to the recent weather conditions and the heavy lightning storms we will not be allowing any student to go out into the grounds for any occasion. To do so, would put yourself in unnecessary harm," Dumbledore spoke loudly, his voice resonating through the cavernous granite hall. At once the mutterings and objections grew louder and we spotted the Gryffindor Quidditch team with Wood at the helm protesting angrily with McGonagall.

"Mister Wood, Professor Dumbledore's commands are final. Consider your Quidditch training cancelled for the time being," she cried out exasperated and I let out a quiet chuckle.

"But Professor – " Wood exclaimed.

"The decision is final! I suggest you go and catch up on your homework Mister Wood, and stop pestering me!" McGonagall bit out and with a nod at Dumbledore, the two walked through the crowd and made their way up the marble staircase.

We watched the scene with raised eyebrows and thoughts brimming with questions at what had happened before us.

"Can weather really be so bad we can't leave the castle?" Tess inquired and Jackie next to her seemed at a loss at what to say.

"What is this, Hotel California? You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave?" I queried and four heads swivelled around to gawk baffled at me.

"What the hell?" Abby remarked, but her attention was on Wood, who was looking mutinously at the retreating backs of McGonagall and Dumbledore.

"Fuck!" he yelled out angrily, punching the sturdy wooden doors and letting out a string of curses as a result of his action.

We all gazed perplexed at the Scot and watched as he stomped hotly up the marble staircase, leaving behind his bewildered Quidditch team and a very irritated Head Boy, Percy Weasley. The heavy thud of his thumping footsteps slowly receded in the large Entrance Hall, leaving behind the mutterings of the confused students, unable to go outside anymore.

* * *

A few hours later on that Saturday evening, long after the sun had set and even longer after Dumbledore and McGonagall had barred the student population from leaving the castle, Jackie, Abby, Tess and I were standing at the balcony on the Astronomy Tower watching the flashing lightning storm erupt above our heads. It was both breath-taking watching as the electric currents shot across the sky, followed by a deep rumbling of the thunder that would follow mere seconds later, yet horrifying at the same time. The bolts would race across the sky and even from the balcony we could feel the power and energy held in each strike, and to be perfectly honest it terrified me. I had never had a problem with storms, they are beautiful in a raw sense, but there was something off about this one. Lightning would flash every minute, much more frequently than I had ever seen in the seven years at Hogwarts and there wasn't a doubt in my mind that it was linked to the strange weather we had had for the last week.

"Are you sure we're safe here?" Tess inquired nervously, edging slowly away from the edge of the rail on the Astronomy Tower where we were currently watching the unfolding storm above us.

Jackie squeezed Tess' shoulder and added, "Hogwarts is far too magical to be hit by lightning. We should be fine up here." Another particularly loud bolt raced across the night sky, striking somewhere near the edge of the Forbidden Forest and I could feel Tess jumping in fright next to me.

"I'm not so sure myself, Jackie," Abby added, the nervousness equally evident in her voice.

"What do you think is causing this weird weather?" I queried, voicing the one question that had been plaguing me for the last few days.

"I honestly don't know. I've never heard of anything like this before," Jackie responded and a flash illuminated her face so I could see her creased brow and the thoughtful expression on her face.

"It feels like the world is ending," Tess remarked, orbs wide as the roaring sound of thunder made her jump again.

"It does have a surreal quality to it, almost like we're in an alternate world," Jackie remarked and that comment made me stare at my friend in confusion.

"Do you think it has anything with that mirror McGonagall showed us a few days ago?" I inquired, almost not wanting the answer. That mirror made me feel uneasy and the nightmares I had been having nightly about were still fresh in my mind. Jackie just shrugged her shoulders, her auburn hair glistening a silvery sheen by the lightning.

"I couldn't even fathom what was happening right now."

"I wish it would stop. I haven't been able to sleep since this bloody weird weather started!" I spoke grumpily, the nightly nightmares starting to wear me down. "There's a menacing feeling here at Hogwarts, and I don't like it one bit."

"I know Chrissie," Abby spoke, wrapping an arm around me and giving my shoulders a squeeze. I leant my head against her shoulder and we watched in silence the storm raging ferociously above us showing no signs of abating.

* * *

A low moan, followed by a high-pitched cackle could be heard coming from around the corner of the corridor Jackie and I were currently standing in. Jackie jumped at the noise, a hand on her heart as her wand light shook with the fright.

"Chrissie, do we have to do this?" she asked nervously, worry and fear of getting caught starting to override her other senses.

"Yes, come on. I need you to do this for me!" I persisted and she sent me a frazzled glare before we turned the corner and made our way towards the locked door on the right hand side.

"Are you aware of the amount of trouble we would get into if we get caught by Filch, or worse McGonagall herself?" she pressed and I nodded my head.

"I know, but you're the only one who knows McGonagall's password to her office and I need you to keep watch while I go inside."

"This is insane, Chrissie. It's three in the morning and you want to break into McGonagall's office just to look into the Speculum Infernum mirror?" Jackie cried, shaking her head baffled.

"I can't explain it Jackie, but I have to look into that mirror again. I've been dreaming about it for the last four nights, and I don't think I'm going to get a good night's sleep until I do. Please!" Maybe it was my pleading tone or the sheer frazzled tone with which I was speaking, but Jackie finally nodded her head and uttered okay.

"You know, I'm not even meant to know her password," Jackie hissed at me, but I shot her a look and she relented, pointing her wand at the lock on the door and muttering, "_Measarrachd_."

I raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed, adding, "It's the Scottish Gaelic for temperance."

"I really ought to pay more attention to what McGonagall says," I snorted and Jackie raised her eyebrow at me.

"You might actually get an Outstanding in her class then," she remarked and then pointed to the door, which was now ajar. "Now will you hurry up, I'd like to go back to bed.

I sighed and lit my wand, entering her dark office. It took me a moment to adjust to where everything was, but having spent much of my last seven years in here being told off for something or other, I was able to find her desk and cabinet fairly quickly. I prised open the doors to the cabinet and saw the object of my desires sitting at the front of the shelf. Heaving it out, I placed it quietly on the desk and examined it in the wand-light. It was still as dark as before, seemingly sucking in whatever light there was in the room. I suppressed a shudder and then leaned my face real close, taking a deep breath before I plunged my face into its dark surface.

...

My mind reeled for a few seconds, as if I was going through a whirlpool, before my senses adjusted themselves once more and I noticed that the light was becoming brighter. Objects solidified themselves in front of me and a few seconds later, the vision in front of me showed I was standing in the Astronomy Tower. At least I assumed it to be the Astronomy Tower, for it had the same rough granite bricks and it was also circular in shape with a balcony overlooking the starless night, but I couldn't trust my own judgement. I walked towards the balcony and saw that a couple were leaning against the railing, their arms entwined in one another in a tight embrace.

My heart leapt up into my throat as a flash of lightning enveloped the entire tower, followed swiftly by a loud clap of thunder. Wherever I was, they were experiencing the same storm as we were.

Not sure whether the couple could see me, it being so dark, I edged towards them and paused at the last pillar, observing how the boy tucked the girl's head against his chest in the faint light.

"Do you think we'll have another Death Eater attack tonight?" the girl whispered, and I had to remain very quiet to hear her. It took me a moment to realise that the girl speaking had the same voice as I. Confused over how that could be possible, I edged towards the couple and with the illumination from the lightning high above our heads I could see a worried Wood cradling _me_ in his arms, as he made soothing words.

"I don't think so Chrissie. They won't risk it in this storm. We're safe for now," he uttered and she pulled away from him to gaze into those emerald green eyes that I was so familiar with too. I watched in muted shock as he smiled down at her and planted a gentle and loving kiss on her lips.

I stumbled backwards with a jolt, my shoes scraping against the flagstones so loudly they were bound to hear. I stood stock still, expecting them to turn around and accost me, but they acted like they hadn't heard. After a minute or so I expelled a breath and wondering what sort of magic was at work here, I inched towards them, until I was right before them.

They seemed to be fused into one person, so comfortable were they in each other's arms that I didn't know how to take it. I had never seen Wood look so lovingly at anyone, never mind me and even though the alternate Christina looked the exact same, I knew there was something fundamentally different from her; something fundamentally wrong. I couldn't explain it, but it left an unsettling feeling in my stomach.

"Do you think it was You-Know-Who?" the alternate _me_ asked Wood, but he continued stroking her hair for another minute or so before he replied.

"I don't know."

I edged closer to them both, still not entirely convinced they couldn't see me and examined the alternative _me_ and Wood in front of me. From what I could tell in the dim light they looked the exact same, and not like the grotesque monsters from my nightmares. In fact Wood's hair shone as brilliantly as it always did and my own face held the same scar on my cheek that I had, there was the same permanent wrinkle in between my brows and she was even wearing the same jumper I favoured so much. In every sense of the word, she looked exactly like me, held herself the same way, but something was different. Though she didn't speak as much as I usually would, I could feel the differences in her personality. She seemed so much weaker than I always believed myself to be, and no matter how in love I was with a guy, I would never act so docile and submissive. It was strange seeing these fundamentally different aspects mirrored on yourself.

Then there was the matter of Wood and I in love. What alternate world had I stepped in, where that could even be possible? It bothered me, and I couldn't understand why. But my musings were cut short when alternate Christina, or really I should call her Fauxtina, began speaking again that soft voice I would never use myself.

"Are you sure we're safe here?" she uttered, tone filled with worry.

"Hogwarts is far too magical to be hit by lightning. We should be fine up here," Alterwood replied, taking her face in his hands and gazing deeply into her eyes.

"What do you think is causing this weird weather?" Fauxtina uttered quietly and Alterwood shrugged his shoulders before responding slowly.

"I don't know. I've never heard of anything like this before," he responded, but then he smiled at her. "What does it matter, we have each other and I will always protect you."

Those words hit me like a tonne of bricks and I really didn't expect it. I took a step back and tried to hold back the sob that was threatening to escape. It made no sense at all, but I couldn't bear to look at them so happy and in love any longer. I turned away and took to staring at the roiling clouds and the bright sparks of the lightning as it zoomed across the sky. It didn't seem so terrifying in this weird, alternate world, but then there were other things that seemed so much more perverted and wrong here for me to worry about. As the thunder roared and rumbled in tune with the bursts of light, I could almost discern a few bars of the Muggle song _Hotel California_ in the storm. If I listened close enough, I might have been able to hear the lyrics too–

I could hear the alternate two talking behind me, but I ignored them and wondered why the mirror would show me this scenario of all things. If I wanted to see what an alternate world looked like, I'd want to see anything other than the exact same scenario that I had just experienced with my friends. It felt wrong to be standing there, listening in on an alternate world where I was having this conversation with my beloved, when in the real world I had only my friends there. I knew I shouldn't be feeling so put out by the fact; I had Cedric and he was wonderful, but seeing those two behind me, the Fauxtina and Alterwood, just made me feel empty inside, like I was missing some vital part of me.

"It feels like the world is ending," Fauxtina remarked delicately, and I wondered how this girl could be me, and yet be so un-_me_!

"It does have a surreal quality to it, almost like we're in an alternate world," Alterwood responded and I turned around to gaze at the two critically. My heart lurched in my stomach once more, but I bit down the feeling and watched how in sync they seemed with each other. These two might look like me and _my_ Wood, but it was becoming painfully obvious they were not us.

"There's a menacing feeling here at Hogwarts, and I don't like it one bit," Fauxtina remarked and I began to grow impatient by this point. I had heard all of this before; I had lived it before, so why was the mirror showing me this again. What was I supposed to take from it?

"I know Chrissie," Alterwood spoke, wrapping an arm around her and giving her shoulders a squeeze, much like Abby had done to me. She leant her head against his shoulder and they watched in silence the storm raging ferociously above us.

I had enough of this. I didn't like seeing this other me and Wood so happy. It made me think of feelings I had promised myself I wouldn't feel after New Year. My Wood and I were history a long time ago, and I did not need a mirror to remind me how I had failed.

I turned around and angrily strode towards the interior of the Astronomy Tower, ignoring the kissing couple and the storm raging, for there was an anger raging deep within me too.

"I want out!" I ground out, not even bothering to dampen my temper. "Mirror, I want out!"

Still nothing happened and I spun around to see why I wasn't returning to reality.

"I want out! I want out! I WANT OUT - " I yelled loudly when a hand on my shoulder startled me back to reality and with a thumping heart and eyes wide I saw Jackie peering worried at me in the wand-light.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concern evident, but I ignored her for a moment as I gathered myself and realised with a sigh of relief I was back in the real world; back in McGonagall's office.

"Chrissie?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, getting up and looking at Jackie.

"Are you sure?" I just nodded my head and gave her a weak smile. "Either way, I think we should get out of here. I imagine Filch probably heard you." I grabbed a hold of the mirror and placed it back in the cabinet next to McGonagall's desk, locking it behind me and we left the office silently.

"How long was I out of it?" I asked Jackie after a few minutes. By this time we had made it up to the seventh floor and we were coming up close to the Gryffindor Tower.

"I'd say no more than a few seconds. You were just putting the mirror on the desk when I looked away and the next thing you were yelling so loudly," Jackie responded and I raised an eyebrow at this revelation. Had I only been gone for a few seconds? It had felt like an eternity in the other world, and every sight and sound was etched into my memory. The anger that had appeared so quickly had dissipated once more and I was left with burning questions that I just couldn't or wouldn't answer. The walk back to the Gryffindor common room was a long and quiet one and Jackie and I barely spoke, no matter how persistently she tried to engage me in a conversation. She kept pressing so much about what I saw, that I eventually just lied and told her I saw nothing. It was easier than dealing with the truth- a truth that had Wood and I together in another world. It disturbed me that we could even work out as a couple, but what bothered me the most, and one I wasn't willing to accept, was the fact that I yearned to be held and kissed like that too.

* * *

_Fear__ Rules_

_Fear; it is one of the most basic of emotions, built by our survival instincts to warn us of impending danger and to act upon it. It has protected mankind for over thousands of millennia, and will continue to do so for many years after you or I disappear from this world. That quickened pulse; the hairs that stand to attention on your arms; and the heightened sense of hearing are all symptoms of our bodies preparing us for that basic response – fight or flight. _

_We might all believe that we have evolved past the fight or flight response; because we now wield wands and the magic we can conjure with it, that such a simple emotion as fear is not as necessary in our world anymore. But anyone who has lived through the terror of the reign of You-Know-Who over a decade ago will know how vital fear is. Fear should be our friend, our early warning system, but what happens when it turns on you?_

_The last week at Hogwarts has been some of the most terrifying days I have ever spent in this castle – this fortress of solitude. These thick ancient walls, and Professor Dumbledore and his many teachers should be enough to make any student always feel safe and warm here, but what happens when the terror comes from within. None of us truly know what is going on with this weather, the nightly lightning storms and that eerie fog, but we can all agree on that it has sapped the castle of its feeling of security. Fear has permeated the walls and we are all terrified. _

_So tell me, what happens when the Boogeymen you fear so much comes out from under your bed and is all of a sudden is terrifyingly real? It's easy to say you should confront your fears, but in a climate of heightened tensions and paranoia that turns into nothing more than a fanciful dream. When the danger is so tantalisingly real that it threatens to paralyse you limb from limb, what else can you do but hope and pray – _

An almighty piercing scream echoed its way through the crowded Great Hall at breakfast time on a Monday morning that immediately captured everyone's attention as hundreds of heads turned towards the open oak doors. Jackie, with her thumb on her spot of my article she had been reading exchanged concerned glances with me, and we listened to the girl letting out another terrified shriek. Jackie, ever the Prefect in us, got up and we followed her out of the Great Hall, Abby and I remaining behind as more and more students swirled around us to see what the commotion was about.

A Hufflepuff girl, a second year with curly ginger hair was shaking from head to foot, her face pale as she tried to control herself, but it was obvious that she was in full panic mode. A couple of Slytherins towards the back snickered to themselves, making lewd comments, but they were forgotten as a few Hufflepuff Prefects tried to calm her down and stop her from screaming. After a few minutes they eventually succeeded and she would only whimper as a particularly motherly Hufflepuff sixth year hugged her.

Students started turning back towards their breakfasts, muttering amongst to each other, but stopped when the Prefects were finally able to get from her why she had been screaming.

"I saw Sirius Black and the Death Eaters in the corridors over there…"

* * *

Naturally that statement caused pandemonium; as younger students began screaming and older students tried to get the student body under some form of control. It was only after McGonagall and the rest of the Professors done a thorough sweep of the castle and found that there had been no sign of a break-in that students finally calmed down.

While no one could be sure what the second year Hufflepuff had seen, it had put the population of Hogwarts on edge for the rest of the day. By the time night finally fell upon the castle, the tension that the students and staff had been carrying on their shoulders all day had not been lifted and it was with a great weariness that the girls and I turned in at ten thirty that night. But I could not sleep. I could never sleep anymore, especially after what I had seen in the mirror a few nights previous.

It haunted my thoughts in the day, and my dreams at night. The distorted images of the alternate Chrissie and Wood; the white flashes of lightning behind them and the terrifying concept of You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters still alive and causing mayhem.

I tossed and turned so much in bed that night, that the blankets had tried to suffocate and bind me several times; my brow was covered in a light sheen of sweat and my mind raced with those thoughts. The lightning storm outside our dorm window was particularly fierce that night, and it felt as if the strong bursts of electricity were trying to force their way into the castle. It left me unsettled and fed my insomnia.

By three in the morning, I gave up trying to get some sleep and lightly swung my feet out of the bed letting them fall to the mahogany floor beneath me. I rose and pulled on my winter cloak, pausing only to collect my wand and stuff it into a pocket before I quietly made my way out of the dormitory and down the spiral staircase.

I didn't even think where I was going, deciding instead to let my feet lead me to their destination – a destination that turned out to be McGonagall's office. I paused before it, not quite sure how I had made it here without being caught by either Filch or the patrolling Professors and for a second I paused, worried about getting found out. That only lasted a few seconds, before I muttered the password and slipped inside, closing the door behind me and enveloping the entire room in total darkness. Fumbling slightly in the pitch black, I found McGonagall's cabinet and pulled out the mirror, resting it once more on her desk. Even in the gloom, it felt like it was sucking all the life and energy into its black vortex and I barely paused before I dived head first into the alternate world that I craved to see once again.

...

I gasped; my lungs filling with a large gulp of oxygen, as I pulled my head back from the mirror and let my eyes adjust back to the pitch black of the room. It took me a moment to get a bearing back on the real world, letting the hard oak table scrape against my palms and the cold flagged floor freeze my knees. The senses throughout my body felt heightened, as if compensating for the absence of reality and I scanned around the dark office as my breathing returned to normal. I didn't quite understand why it was taking me such a long while to readjust myself to the real world, but I couldn't seem to shake off the feeling from the other world. Its sights and sounds were still filling my senses and the images were burned into the back of my retinas; but it wasn't real. The real world was all around me, I reminded myself, as I shakily got up off my knees. My bones ached and a shiver ran down my spine. My hands clumsily dug into my cloak pocket and extracted my wand, lighting it up for a moment as I glanced at my watch and noted with surprise that it was after five in the morning.

_Five in the morning? How had it gotten so late?_

I hastily snuck out of McGonagall's office and locked the door behind me, before turning around and checking both corridors were clear. I made my way back to the Gryffindor common room, making sure my footsteps were as quiet as possible.

The castle was eerie at this time of night; and I wondered whether that was because of the strange feeling that had settled upon Hogwarts or if it had always been like this. Though I could hear the thunder distantly rumbling, the castle itself was deathly still – the suits of armour frozen in place and the portraits hidden of life.

Occasionally it felt as if something was following me, so I would spin around on my heel and check behind me, but the only thing my lit wand could pick up was the empty corridor behind me. I quickened up my pace and wondered why it was taking me so long to get back to the common room.

_Should I not be on the seventh floor by now?_

Suddenly a clatter so loud it makes me jump pulled my attention back to the present and I spin around to see where the noise came from. The corridor behind me is void of life. I could have sworn I heard something and the frantic beating of my heart and the Goosebumps trailing up and down my arms were testament I hadn't imagined it.

I was scared, but even more so, I was scared of the castle. With every step I took it felt more and more alien to me, as if I was still caught in that other world with their Death Eaters and true horrors. Could they have followed me back somehow? It couldn't be, but then I didn't know very much about this mirror.

Another deep clatter a few corridors behind me compounded all my fears into one simple action; run. I burst into a sprint, full flight down the hauntingly empty corridors as I bounded off corners and threw myself down staircases, taking the steps two and three at a time. When I came to the bottom of the flight of stairs I tumbled and collapsed to the ground, my wand clattering out of my hand and rolling to a stop a few metres away from me. The light extinguished and I held a breath, feeling suddenly very vulnerable.

I knew I had to get back to the dormitory before something bad happened. I didn't know what it was or whom it was by, but every nerve in my body was warning me that all hell was about to break loose. I scrambled up, and noticed the scrape on my knee, but I had no time for things like that.

_Breath, keep breathing_, I told myself. _Don't lose your nerve._

I darted along the corridor once more, aware of the black portraits that were flashing past me as I sped past them, not really aware of where I was or where I was going; the only thing I knew was I had to get out of here.

The lightning still flashed in the sky outside and every time I passed a window, I was forcibly reminded of the power outside these thick walls and how close I was to being struck by it.

Panic was starting to set in, as I tried to control my breathing and keep running. But as suddenly as the fear had crept up upon me, the corridors looked familiar around me. Another corner passed and suddenly I saw the Fat Lady's portrait, marking the Gryffindor common room and safety. I collapsed in front of her and ignored the warnings and protestations she sent my way about how dangerous it was to be out in the corridors. I panted the password to her, my hands holding me up against the wall and when she finally opened for me, I darted inside, glad to hear the portrait door close behind me.

I stood in the middle of the common room – breath coming out in pants, as I tried to calm myself down and it was only at this moment that I realised my cheeks were stained by tears. A sob made its way up my throat and I gulped down the terror, willing my body to calm down. I was safe.

I shakily made my way up to the seventh years girls dormitory and collapsed into my bed, letting the nightmarish dreams pull me into another fitful sleep.

* * *

By Wednesday afternoon it was becoming glaringly obvious that whatever was wrong with the castle was starting to infect its inhabitants. It had been a week now since this weird weather had begun and with every passing day, the mood was becoming worse and worse within the castle walls. Cabin fever had set in, infecting staff and students alike and clinging to everything like a virus.

It was Jackie who pointed this phenomenon first after a particularly difficult Charms with Professor Flitwick, who snapped at the class over a dozen times in the hour long class.

After her declaration I paid more attention to my fellow classmates and saw that she had been correct. People were acting more irritable than usual, and even the teachers seemed more frazzled by the weather and being cooped up inside the castle.

Over the next couple of days I made a point to keep an eye on my friends and fellow students. While outwardly nothing much seemed different, with Tess in particular it was easy to spot. She was starting to lose sleep and it would be another day or two before insomnia had gripped her completely.

* * *

I couldn't stay away.

Even though the castle had terrified me beyond belief only a few days previous I knew I couldn't stay away from the mirror and that other world. It could call to me in my dreams, twisting my memories and it was hovering at the edge of my consciousness during the waking hours.

Thursday night, I decided to go back once more. Impatient to leave, I snuck out of the common room after twelve when the last of the Prefects came back in from their rounds and quickly made my way down to McGonagall's office. I was in the clear until I reached the third floor when I bumped into none other than a frazzled Wood, attire as dishevelled as his dark mood. He looked up at me with surprise, not expecting to see anyone else in the corridors and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Margate!" he cried out in shocked surprise, but I didn't even look up as I made to walk around him.

"Sorry Wood," I replied absently and made to walk on, but a hand on my arm stopped me. It took me a moment to realise this, as I gazed stupidly down at his closed fingers encasing my upper arm.

"Where are you going? It's not safe out here!" he declared gruffly and I finally pulled my eyes up to his and saw the fear swimming in his eyes that nearly every student seemed to be carrying with them these last few days.

"I have to go Wood," I pressed on, my voice starting to grow impatient. I didn't want to be in the corridor; the only thoughts that were swirling around in my head was that I had to get back to the other world.

I would give anything to be back in that other world.

"No!"

"Let me go!" I pressed on, the unrestrained hysteria that I had barely been able to contain for the last day bubbling to the surface. "I need to go back!"

"NO!" Wood thundered, his tone dark, but I couldn't hear him anymore. I was too far gone. I began thrashing against his firm grip, trying to yank my arm out of his grip but he wouldn't budge and I wouldn't give up.

"Please let me go back. I have to go back. Let me go back!" I cried, as I thrashed harder against him, but all he done was grab my other arm and hold me tightly in his grip, mere centimetres from his body.

"Please!" I cried, feeling real tears trail their way down my cheeks and I tried to twist my arms out of his grasp, hysteria in full swing, but I only caused myself more pain. I let out a cry in agony, but he wouldn't let me go. Instead I could feel his body tugging me along the corridors.

"We have to go head back to the common room," his voice called out to me in the gloom, but I didn't care much for what he said.

"Please, I want to go back," I sobbed and we paused in the corridor. Suddenly his emerald eyes were gazing into my own and I saw beneath the fear a look of pleading floating in those mesmerising orbs.

"Margate, please. It's dangerous out here," he replied tersely, and when I refused to meet his eyes, his hands cupped my cheeks and forced me to look at him. "Chrissie!"

It was my name falling from his lips that seemed to waken me a little from my trance and I let out a jagged breath, still shaking from head to foot. I nodded my head and he led the way back to the common room in silence, his hand still wrapped protectively around my upper arm. Wood had woken me from my terror and I could feel rational thought slowly returning to me as he led me down the corridors.

I gazed forlornly behind me, watching with resignation as the corridors receded behind us back into the all-consuming blackness of the night.

* * *

I would not get my chance to see it again tonight; Wood had taken care of that.

It was McGonagall's high angry voice that awoke me out of my stupor on Friday morning at breakfast. I wearily pulled my head from where it had been comfortably resting on my arms and gazed blearily at her through exhausted eyes.

"Anyone else caught sneaking out of the castle will be in detention for the next two months, do I make myself clear?" She eyes the congregated students sitting at each of their respective houses beadily, and then sat down again, looking crosser than ever.

"What the hell?" Abby snapped irritably, raising an eyebrow at our Head of House and furious Deputy Headmistress. Abby had become the grumpiest of our group and Tess, Jackie and I eyed her warily before Tess responded tentatively.

"I heard that a few students have been sneaking outside and when they got busted by the Professors they claim they had no idea how they got out there. Apparently the lightning almost struck them all!"

"Really?" I queried, the exhaustion shining through in my voice even though I had slept seven hours the night before. Somehow I was still sapped of strength.

"Either way, it's incredibly stupid and dangerous to be out there right now. I don't know much about what's happening, but whatever it is, it's got the entire staff spooked. Just look at them," Jackie responded and nodded at the staff table, where all four of us saw a haggard McGonagall speaking to Dumbledore and even lively Sprout had a face that was tight and drawn with worry. Whatever it was, it was bad and I sure hoped this weather would lift soon.

* * *

"You know, I don't think you should be walking around on your own. It's too dangerous", Cedric commented, his hands still fingering the edge of my jumper where his eyes were trained on it. We had just been enjoying a very productive twenty minutes of snogging our hearts out in a deserted classroom on the third floor. I had been repeatedly trying to head back to the Gryffindor common room for the last five minutes, though maybe not putting as much effort into it as maybe I should have, considering Cedric had his arms entwined around my waist and I was enjoying his closeness.

"Hmmm," I mumbled in reply, too concerned with kissing a spot on his neck that he liked.

"I mean, it Chrissie," he grunted back and I frowned at him, pulling away from his neck as I regarded my boyfriend with an exasperated stare.

"Cedric, it's four in the afternoon, relax. I'll be fine!" I chuckled at the absurdity of what he had asked of me.

"Chrissie, you've heard the reports. There's something going on and people are gonna get hurt," Cedric replied, irritated at my understanding. His bright grey eyes darkened with displeasure and he drew back a little to stare at me. I sighed; this was going to be difficult, I could feel it.

"Seriously, I'm fine! Why do people keep thinking that I can't take care of myself? Don't forget I'm a year older than you and a seventh year!" I bit out exasperated and Cedric's eyes flashed at that remark. He dropped his arms from around my waist and eyed me critically, doing his best to control his outward emotions.

"And I'm a Prefect and I can give you an order!" Cedric snapped at me, and if I had been thinking rationally I would have seen the worry etched in his words, but alas foresight has never been one of my strengths.

"Are you serious?" I cried out incredulously. I folded my arms across my chest and glared at my boyfriend, who was being an insensitive git at the moment.

"Will you just listen to me!" he bit out, but I was beyond caring what he was going to say. I just shook my head and glared at him fiercely.

"Are you actually trying to boss me around?"

"If I have to…" Cedric replied and he left the rest of the sentence hanging in the air. I had had enough of him at that moment. I quickly scooped up my school bag and pulled my cloak over my shoulders again.

"You know what then, fine!"

"Fine!" he snapped back at me and we glared at each other so fiercely for a moment, before we both stormed off in opposite directions. I was heading back to Gryffindor tower and he presumably to the Hufflepuff common rooms near the kitchens.

I stomped off, furious at my boyfriend for being such a chauvinistic idiot who didn't think girls could take care of themselves and only wanted to roll me up in cotton wool. Who did he think he was, my protector? I didn't need anyone protecting me, and I didn't need a boyfriend who would treat me like such a kid!

It took me exactly ten minutes to realise what a complete and utter ass I had been to Cedric. The anger and irritation that had flared up so quickly in Cedric's presence had dissipated just as quickly and I was left feeling incredibly horrible for how I had spoken to him, when all he wanted to do was make sure I was safe. Even more so I was beginning to see that he had a point; these castle walls didn't feel safe anymore this last week and who knew what would happen. My mind made up, I turned around and quickly began running down the staircases in an attempt to catch up with Cedric before he reached the Hufflepuff common room.

Panting and slightly out of breath, I caught up with him on the second floor, and he held a hand out for me, as I bent over and tried to catch my breath.

"I'm sorry," we both spoke at the same time, and smiling wryly up at him, I straightened up and let him encircle his arms around me.

"I'm sorry Chrissie. I've been so irritable this last week and I shouldn't have taken out on you. It's this damned weather. I can't go out and fly, which would usually pull me out of whatever slump I was in and now I can't sleep either," Cedric said and I smiled up at him, giving him a hug.

"I know Cedric," I breathed, leaning my head against his chest as I relished his closeness. "Half the time I don't feel like myself at all. It has us all on edge."

Cedric cradled my head in both of his hands and stared deeply into my eyes, a light smile tugging at his lips. "You're wonderful for being so understanding, you know that?"

"I'm not so sure about that," I laughed self deprecatingly, my eyes downcast. I glanced up at him and saw his soft gaze it made my heart stop like it always did. He leaned in close and captured my lips in a sensuous kiss that had me reeling at the edge only to be pulled back by his expert lips. As one hand trailed lower on my back, I ran a hand through his dark hair and fisted it, opening my mouth a little and letting his tongue explore to its hearts content.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, snogging to our hearts content, and quite enjoying it on my part when the heavy thud of something metallic falling to the floor and the cackle of glee pulled us out of our reverie.

"What was that?" I asked nervously, Cedric's arms still encircle protectively around my waist. His gaze was dark as he stared at the empty corridor behind us.

"No idea, but we should probably get you back to the Gryffindor common room," he replied seriously and I nodded my head, letting him lead my by the hand back the way I had come.

Cedric finally left me at the entrance to the Gryffindor common room after another couple of heady kisses, with one of them involving being pressed up against the stone wall and snogged so deeply it left me reeling and the Fat Lady clucking disapprovingly under her breath. I stumbled dreamily back into the common room and made my way to my friends, who were waiting for me.

* * *

"Wow this is a long queue!" Tess remarked, her eyebrows rising upwards as we approached the Hospital Wing. She was right; it was a very long queue that had snaked out of the double doors and made its way out into the hallway. I sighed at the prospect of queuing for so long, but we took our places at the end and waited for Madame Pomfrey to see us.

She had been giving students potions to help them sleep, concentrate and a number of other ailments that had the rest of the faculty more worried than they cared to let on. It had been over a week by this point and the entire school was now affected in some form or another by cabin fever and the weather.

The funny thing was between the four of us none of us had the same symptoms. I was incredibly restless, but my body had taken to sleeping more than eight hours every night. Cedric was suffering from feelings of claustrophobia and because he couldn't fly it off he had become incredibly irritable as you could see by the fight we had a few hours previous. Tess hadn't slept in the last three days and she was starting to become quite hysterical as a result. I worried that she would start hallucinating soon. Abby on the other hand had become so incredibly grumpy and short tempered none of us wanted to be around her for too long. I knew it wasn't her fault, but it was hard to be around her she she's like this. Jackie meanwhile, had become so confused and forgetful, I caught myself correcting a piece of homework of hers the other night; a first in our seven years here. All in all I worried about how much more we would have to put up with before something really dangerous happened.

So far only Hagrid had been hit by the lightning, and since he's thankfully half giant it did nothing more than give him quite an electrical shock.

"Which one did you get?" I asked as Jackie, the last one to be seen by Pomfrey returned to our group a little away from the queue and the hospital beds.

"I got a Calming Draught and a strong Sleeping Draught. Fat load of good it'll do me!" Tess giggled uncontrollably. Jackie hugged her tightly and whispered something in her ear that I couldn't hear, but whatever it was it seemed to calm her down a little.

"Well mine's a Wit Sharpening Potion and a Memory Potion to help with the forgetfulness. I think Madame Pomfrey also gave me a Calming Draught too," Jackie added, one hand on Tess' shoulder as she held the three vials in the other and eyed them critically.

"I got a Draught of Peace, which is just bloody ironic," Abby snorted and I hastily repressed the grin that was threatening to escape. "And something else that I've no idea what it is."

"Well mine is just an Invigoration Draught," I replied, eyeing the morose single vial while Tess and Jackie were trying to hold onto all of theirs.

I watched as a fifth year girl walked away from Madame Pomfrey carrying a flaming pink potion in her hand that was bubbling lightly and emitting the strangest smells.

"Awww, I want the pink potion!" I pouted drawing my bottom lip up, to which Abby just shot me a disbelieving look.

"Are you bloody kidding me?" she asked incredulously, one eyebrow raised at me.

"Yeah. Look it's all colourful and bubbling while mine looks like regurgitated food!" I replied, wrinkling my nose at the rank smells wafting from the vial of potion in my hand.

"You don't even know what that potion is. For all you know it could be to cure the crazies!" Abby protested grumpily and Jackie and I eyed her warily. Abby was a danger to be around these days. Thankfully she didn't explode on us this time and the tension eased somewhat.

"Or worse it could make you crazy. You know what Snape said about administering wrong potions, or was that wrong doses?" Jackie pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head to clear the fogginess in her head. "I can't think anymore."

Tess laid her head on Jackie's shoulder and then held her vials of potion up into the air.

"I reckon we down do it on three," she spoke, seeming much calmer than she had been a few minutes before. We raised our vials into the air in a toast.

"One, two, three!" we all chanted and in one swoop downed our assortment of potions. I made a retching sound as Tess seemed to be going green for a moment, before swallowing the rest of the contents.

"Well it's official," Tess declared, still pulling a face from the disgusting taste clinging to the inside of her mouth. My potions were no better. "We're as crazy as the girl with the pink potion!"

We dumped our empty vials in the sink next to Pomfrey's office and slowly meandered out of the Hospital Wing in silence. Abby and Jackie began a debate about which one of the students were the craziest and judging them by the amount of vials they were carrying in their hands, but I ignored them. I spotted Wood waiting in the queue just outside the double doors and noted how awful he was looking. The dark rings under his eyes seemed to enhance the pallid skin tone he was sporting. His posture was slumped and to me he looked like he hasn't slept in weeks. For a moment I felt a little bad for Wood; he looked like Cedric and I knew that the claustrophobia Cedric was suffering from him was probably affecting Wood too. Quidditch players were all one and the same in that way.

"Chrissie, come on!" Abby yelled out in front of me and I pulled my eyes away from Wood and saw that the girls were already ahead of me. I sighed and followed my angry best friend back to the common room and safety.

* * *

It is bitingly cold in the castle. It always is this time of year, but it seeps through my clothing and lodges itself in my bones. The articles of clothing aren't doing much good; I grimace as I glance down at the long pyjama bottoms and oversized t-shirt that is my sleeping attire.

The granite flagstones underneath my feet are achingly cold; making every step I take a painful effort. It takes me a moment to pause and figure out why I am in the corridors in the middle of the night, when a flash of movement ahead of me catches my eye. A bolt of lightning lights up the sky outside and I recognise the tall form of my boyfriend.

"Cedric," I yell out, but he cannot hear me for he turns away and begins walking away from me.

"Cedric," I call out again, my feet springing into action as I dart down the corridor after his form. His stride is much bigger than mine and I burst into a jog to catch up with him.

I begin to run, but no matter how fast I chase after him, I cannot catch up with Cedric.

"Wait!" I pant out, voice hoarse from exertion, but he doesn't stop.

We reach the courtyard on the ground floor and it takes another bolt of lightning to illuminate Cedric's form. Only this time it doesn't look much like Cedric anymore.

His dark hair is much lighter with an ochre tint to it, he is much taller than Cedric and a second later I realise the form I have been chasing is none other than Oliver Wood.

A question springs to my lips and I am about to utter it, when Wood turns from me again and starts darting out onto the grounds.

"Wait!" I yell out, but he ignores me and once more my feet take off after him. I race across the grounds, the snow-covered ground soaking my slippers in an instant. I let out a shriek as a bolt of lightning races across the sky, striking somewhere in the Forbidden Forest. The rumble of thunder is so deafening it stuns me for a moment, but I chase after him…

...

And with a rush, all my senses came tumbling back to me; the cracking of the twigs underneath my feet, the deep rumbling of the thunder, only half a mile away from me as it chased after the bright flash of lightning and the feeling that I wasn't alone.

I whirled about on the spot and saw I was far away from the castle, too far away to make a dash for it, but if I had made it this far out here in my sleep, maybe I could make it back? I spun around, full three-sixty degrees and saw nothing but blackness around me, that was illuminated every few seconds by another flash of bright, white and very dangerous light.

I was frightened beyond belief and disorientated without a light to tell me where I was. Stumbling around, and tripping on hidden rocks, I made my way forward, not sure whether I was heading towards the castle or further into the forest.

Another loud boom echoed across the sky and I let out a shriek, running forwards in an effort to get away from the lightning storm. With a hammering heart and no idea what's real or not anymore, I blindly ran into the darkness.

My heart skipped a beat and I turned around to get my bearings, but in the darkness of the Forbidden Forest that was an impossible task.

_Crack!_

The distant sound of twigs breaking had me on edge as I spun around wildly, looking for the intruder upon my senses, but I saw nothing.

Flailing in the murkiness around me, I stumbled on a rock and fell to the ground with a soft thud. Hoisting myself up slowly, I felt a tree behind me and splayed my arms on it, keeping my back to it as I glanced around in the gloom.

_Crack, crack!_

The noise had me jumping out of my skin, thudding heartbeat and hands devoid of a wand I peered into the blackness and called out nervously.

"Who's there?"

The commotion grew louder as the rustling of branches joined the sound of cracking twigs and I dropped silently to the ground, picking up the largest rock I could find and cradling it in my shaking hands. I stood up once more and took a deep calming breath as a shadowy figure approached me in the gloom, its silhouette only visibly for a few seconds in the flash of lightning.

"Stay away," my voice wavered and I suppressed a tremble as I added, "or I'll… I'll hurt you!"

A flash of lightning above me lit up the area long enough for me to see a figure darting towards me. I quickly turned on my heel, dropping the rock to the ground and ran the other way. I had no way of knowing whether that person was real or another figment of my imagination, so I done the only thing my survival instincts told me to do. I ran, but they were faster than me and I could hear their heavy tread gaining on me in between the booming of the thunder. I screamed as a hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around.

"Let me go!" I screeched, bringing my arms up as I shut my eyes and started pounding the person in front of me. "Let me go, let me go, let me go!" I hollered, as tears started flowing down my cheeks and it was a gruff familiar voice that registered among my panicked thoughts.

"Margate, it's me!"

I opened my eyes still shaking profusely and I saw Wood standing in front on me, the lightning flashes confirming it was him. I could have recognised his figure anywhere.

"Oh," I let out, still sobbing hysterically and I threw my arms around Wood, so grateful that he was solid and real.

Above us the lightning storm was raging away and for a moment it lit up the sky so brightly it felt a little like daylight and I could see the castle in between the trees with such clarity, before the light receded once more and we were plunged into darkness.

The lightning itself resembled a bright web of flashing lights as it raced across the sky, striking indiscriminately where it chose. The hairs on the back of my neck stood upright from the electricity in the air and I could feel the power raging through me as if I had been struck myself.

It was the most breath-taking display I have ever seen, and yet it was also the most terrifying. The sky was singing along to its own symphony, the bolts acting as conductors as they instructed the thunder to rumble and groan across the night sky.

Then above it all there was a crash so loud it momentarily blinded us both, so bright it felt like the whole of Hogwarts had been engulfed in white and the bolt was almost indeterminable from the white sky around us. The thunder shook through the ground and I could feel its tremble from underneath my feet.

I let out a petrified shriek and Wood wrapped his arms around me, pulling my stunned body along with him towards the forest. I felt like I was walking around in my very own nightmare, but this time it was more real and paralysing than ever before.

We stumbled further into the trees and I looked back to see another bolt race across the sky and strike the Astronomy Tower with such precision it took my breath away. It was only when the thunder had subsided that I realised I was whimpering and shaking in Wood's arms, unable to move any further.

"Margate, come on it's not safe here!" Wood pressed urgently and he pulled me further into the forest, away from the edge of the trees and out of the line of sight.

Tripping and stumbling, Wood finally came to a halt next to a large tree trunk that looked like every other. He let go of my hand and slumped down onto the hard, frozen earth, letting out a deep breath. I stood there dumbly, still too frightened of the lightning storm raging high above our heads to do much else than whimper quietly.

"Sit down Margate," Wood sighed and his words loosened me from my bind and I clumsily slumped down next to him, drawing my knees up close and hugging them tightly. I still had not spoken a word and it seemed that Wood had noticed it too.

Margate," Wood pressed and it took me another second to register his voice and look at him. He noted my pale face with only a modicum of concern on his own and added, "Have you got your wand on you?"

"Huh?" I manage to utter, my voice more squeaky than I ever remember hearing it.

"Have you got your wand on you?" He asked again.

I shook my head and felt the non-existent pockets on my pyjama bottoms as emphasis and Wood's face turned grim as he let out a low swear word.

"Shit!" he grumbled and then peered out the way we had come in from, but honestly I couldn't tell anymore where the edge of the forest was. "Well there goes trying to get back to the castle."

I mutely nodded in reply, panic having gripped my body, rendering me incapable of doing anything else than stare out at the forest around us while a silent scream ran through my head. My body was rocking backwards and forwards as I whimpered to myself and Wood finally glanced over at me, an eyebrow raised.

"Margate?" he asked, but I couldn't reply, locked within my own mind and bound by the terror that was coursing through my body.

He got up and crouched in front of me, peering into my glassy eyes and then let out a sigh.

"Shit, Margate, can you hear me?" Wood asked urgently and he took my face in his hands and peered intently into my eyes. I was only able to radiate fear out of them and he ran his thumbs over my cheeks as he added.

"Come on Margate, snap out of it. I need you to have your wits about you. Can you nod your head for me?"

I slowly nodded my head in return, the action felt like it took a lifetime, but I managed it and Wood exhaled loudly.

"Good, what you're having is a panic attack. I need you to take a deep breath for me. In and out, okay?" he pressed on urgently and I slowly nodded my head. I took in a lungful of air, so much it caused stars to pop up in front on my vision and my lungs to burn with the oxygen, but I managed it and slowly let out it out again.

"Good, now put your head in between your legs and keep taking deep breaths. It'll help with the dizziness," he added and I was about to send him a questioning glance when I started feeling faint. I dropped my head in between my drawn-up knees and continued taking deep breaths as Wood crouched over me, muttering words I couldn't hear.

...

"How did you get out here?" Wood spoke, forty minutes later as he turned his head slightly to stare at me.

"I don't know," I sighed, shivering as I wrapped my arms around myself to keep them warm. I was feeling much calmer than before and the panic attack had long since died away, thanks to Wood's help. But while the initial fear had subsided, it had been replaced by a freezing cold clinging to every limb on my body. My knees were starting to shake from the biting chill and as I glanced down at my slipper-clad feet I could see the moisture starting to soak its way up my pyjama bottoms.

"I was dreaming and in it I was chasing y – … someone," I hesitated, hoping he wouldn't notice the slip. "And next thing I know you're walking towards me frightening me out of my wits."

Wood furrowed his brow, pursing his lips as he thought, but he seemed to accept my story for he nodded his head silently.

"How about you?" I asked meekly, gazing at Wood through my messy hair. He sat up straighter and leaned his head against the tree trunk propping both of us up.

"I was dreaming and next thing I know I'm out here too," he responded slowly. So both of us didn't have a clue how we got out here.

"Do you think that's what happened to the other students who were caught outside?" I asked him and Wood shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose," he replied and closed his eyes. I didn't know how he could possibly try to sleep in this terrifying weather with no idea on how to get back to the castle safely. I was wide-awake, and even though the initial hysteria was gone thanks to Wood, I was still on high alert.

Without our wands I was keenly aware how vulnerable we both were, and the Forbidden Forest was dangerous on a normal day, never mind during an on-going lightning storm at night. How Wood could be so relaxed was beyond my understanding, but as I watched him closely, I realised he was as tense as I was. He was just better at hiding it.

...

Ten minutes passed in silence as I listened to the storm raging above us and frequently the lightning flash would illuminate the forest around us, causing the branches and trees to look more ghostly than usual. I could also occasionally hear odd noises, like the swishing of a branch or the sound of wood cracking on the ground, along with low moans and howls from the non-existent wind. It made the forest more creepy than usual, or maybe I was just more aware of it now…

"Margate, will you stop squeaking so much!" Wood bit out impatiently, opening his eyes and it was only then that I realised the whimpers I could hear were coming from me. I clamped my mouth shut and hugged my knees, wishing this night would be over and I could return to the safety of my bed.

...

Half an hour later we were still in the Forbidden Forest, perched against the same tree and the only difference was that I was beginning to grow very uncomfortable. My legs were cramping and the jagged bark of the trunk was sticking oddly into my back, hitting a sensitive spot I had been nursing for the last few days. I gingerly stretched out my sore legs and angled my back a little to avoid the pressure point. I hissed quietly to myself as something sharp poked itself in my bum, so I moved a little, which seemed to have gotten Wood's attention.

He opened an eye and eyed me beadily before saying, " You alright there, Margate? You injured or something?" He opened his second eye and turned his full attention on me.

"No," I replied, rubbing my sore bum, before adding quietly. "I sat on a briar." Embarrassment flooded my cheeks and I was infinitely glad it was dark so he couldn't see my blush.

Wood snorted and let out a short laugh. "Still as clumsy as ever, eh Margate?"

I knew I should be offended by that remark and I knew I should retort with a smart assed comment of my own, but strangely I didn't. Instead I giggled myself and we chuckled for a minute or two at my klutziness. It was well documented after all.

"Well at least I didn't stumble head first into a tree out here," I chuckled and Wood snorted once more. The flash of lightning overhead showed that he was nodding his head, a grin on his face.

"It is just like you to be in the Forbidden Forest and the thing that puts you in danger is not one of the many creatures in here but your own clumsiness and a tree!" Wood remarked dryly and I let out an indignant 'Hey!' chucking a loose twig at him. I was only kidding and the strangest thing was I was sure he knew it too.

The cold was starting to get to me and even though we were deep enough in the forest where barely any snow lay on the ground, my pyjama bottoms were still soaked through. I was trembling more than ever as I tried to hold myself together.

"You cold?" Wood called out and I could barely make out the concerned look on his face.

"Yeah, but it's nothing," I replied dismissively, not wanting him to think I was weak.

It's not nothing," Wood said gruffly as he scooted closer to me and brought his arm around my shoulder.

I jumped like some idiotic pre-teen near a boy and squeaked nervously, "What are you doing?"

I could swear I saw Wood rolling his eyes as he let out a deep sigh and said, "I'm trying to warm you up now stop being such a bint."

He started rubbing his arms up and down and I was acutely aware of his warm breath tickling my ear. This was far too close for comfort and it made me incredibly awkward.

"I'm fine Wood, I'll manage," I replied quickly, wanting to pull out of his grip, but his strong arms kept me in place. Figures as a Keeper he would be too strong for me.

"Nonsense, Margate. You'll get hypothermia if you get any colder. In case you've forgotten its February and there's snow on the ground," he said and I let out a quiet 'Oh' feeling incredibly silly for a moment.

"What about you, aren't you cold?" I breathed in between chattering teeth, feeling his touches already warming my arms.

"I'm not too bad. Blokes have a higher body temperature than girls anyway, besides nothing warms you up better than body heat," he replied simply and I noticed that the annoyed tone he usually addressed me with was gone.

"You're not going to do anything like lie on top of me, are you?" I asked horrified and I could feel Wood shaking his head at me.

"Don't worry, Margate. I won't do anything more than sit next to you," Wood remarked dryly and I let out an inaudible sigh of relief. This whole night was just a little too much for my nerves. They were already overloaded from having Wood's warm solid mass so close to me.

He was right, though. I did feel warmer and if I turned my chest a little to the left he would be hugging me. I drew my legs up and tucked them under me as I leaned into Wood's open arms. I could feel his heartbeat racing against my back and dimly realised it was going as fast as my own.

"Do you think we'll have to stay here all night?" I asked and I could feel Wood shrug behind me.

"If no-one realises we're gone we might have to."

"And you're sure we can't just make a run for it back to the castle?" I pressed on, turning my head a little to glance at him.

"It's too dangerous and I'm not willing to take that risk," Wood replied and I nodded my head. It probably was smarter to stay put. All we had to do was survive the night, but I wondered if I could even do that.

It was the rustling of the thick undergrowth to my left that caught my attention as the noises coming from it were too pronounced to just be small animals foraging in the undergrowth. Wood held his finger to his lips to keep me quiet and eyed the spot warily. This time I could swear I could hear voices so I quickly jumped up, ignoring Wood's hisses of displeasure and peered into the dark forest ahead of us.

It was a flickering yellow light, too dim to be the lightning that awoke Wood out of his trance and he sprang up next to me, a heavy round stone in his hand.

"Don't move or say a word," he hissed, edging closer. "We don't know who that could be."

"Honestly," I shook my head and darted ahead of Wood and called out nervously. "Is anybody out there?"

The flickering beams of yellow light focused and centred on us, as voices grew louder and a few seconds before they cleared the undergrowth where we were hidden, I heard them call out.

"Mister Wood. Miss Margate!"

My shoulders slumped with relief as I saw Professor McGonagall and Snape enter our small clearing, their wands held aloft and giving us enough light to see that they were both wearing worried looks on their faces.

"Are you both alright?" McGonagall queried hurriedly and I nodded my head, ignoring Snape who strode toward Wood and was peering at him intently.

"They look fine Minerva," Snape called out, turning his attention and the bright light of his 'Lumos' on me.

I darted up towards McGonagall, suddenly forcibly reminded that we were defying orders to stay indoors at all times, and to top it all off Snape and McGonagall had found us in the Forbidden Forest.

"Professor, please believe me, we have no idea how we got out here. I was having a nightmare and the next thing I know I'm standing in the middle of the grounds in the lightning storm, and then Wood came and we hid here in the Forest because it's too dangerous out there, but we swear we didn't do it on purpose!" I pleaded, a fanatical look in my eye as McGonagall held up a hand to silence me.

"That is enough Miss Margate. We are quite aware of the situation and we have reason to believe that you are not the first to unwillingly end up outdoors in this weather," McGonagall replied and I nodded my head, glad to see she wasn't yelling at us.

"How did you know we were out here?" Wood asked, walking up to stand next to me.

"Your friends were quite concerned for your welfare when it was discovered you were not in Gryffindor tower," Snape responded with a sneer and I wondered how such a neutral reply could be turned into such a mocking comment.

"We had better get you back to the castle. It is not safe out here," McGonagall said commandingly, drawing herself up and nodding at Snape.

"Severus, if you please."

Snape muttered some words under his breath and with a swish of his wand; a luminous shield appeared over our heads, glowing lightly in the flashes of lightning above us.

"Mister Wood, Miss Margate. Quick, get underneath!" McGonagall called out to us and we stepped closer to Snape as he led us out of the Forbidden Forest and back up to the castle.

The walk itself was quick with McGonagall and Snape flanking us and we made it in silence and relative ease, save for lightning striking Snape's shield a couple of times and scaring the life out of me. The flash was so bright it blinded me for a moment and I stumbled about in the glare for a few seconds before a hand grabbed me and held me upright. I finally opened my eyes again to see it was Wood, but as soon as I was about to react he had let go of me again.

At the Entrance Hall, Snape bid us goodnight and McGonagall walked us silently the eight floors up to the Gryffindor common room. Outside the portrait she paused and I watched her, nervous, she had decided to yell at us after all.

"I'm glad you're both safe," she uttered and I raised an eyebrow at her, but she turned away from us and woke up the Fat Lady to let us in. "To bed both of you," she commanded and we mutely nodded our heads before traipsing in and letting the portrait door shut behind us.

I silently made my way to the girls' staircase with Wood following in my footsteps and at the foot of the stairs I turned to Wood.

He was silent and I suddenly grew very awkward as I began fidgeting with my hands. Wood was avoiding my eyes and I sucked in a deep breath.

"Thank you," I said softly and Wood flicked his gaze down at me, which caused a knot to lodge in my throat that I swallowed with great difficulty. "You know, for what you did out on the grounds and in the forest."

I looked away and began fidgeting with my hair, but I could feel his gaze upon my face and reluctantly I gazed up at his eyes again.

He nodded his head once and then spoke, "Night, Margate."

Without another word he turned around and headed up the staircase leading to the seventh year boys' dormitory. I took another deep breath and made my way up to my dormitory, knowing full well that the girls were wide-awake and anxiously waiting for my return.

* * *

Every story has a turning point and ours was reached late on Sunday night. Though most inhabitants of Hogwarts castle weren't aware of the change, what with it being so late, they did not see the changes until the next morning. But a change had fallen upon Hogwarts.

The nightly lightning storm, which at it's worst on Saturday raged the entire night, had ceased and the perpetual heavy fog that had obscured Hogwarts for the last fortnight was starting to lift.

It would take another few days for the weather to completely return to normal, but the worst was over. We had survived it.

* * *

By Tuesday the fog had finally cleared enough for the cool winter rays of the sun to penetrate its former thick wall and engulf the castle in its warm glow. The students celebrated by basking in its glory, or playing outside and it seemed with the return of the sun the mood was instantly lifted too.

That night I snuck back to McGonagall's office. Students were back to sleeping rather normally at night, but I still felt I needed one last trip to the other world. I knew that the pressing need I had felt a week before to see the other world wasn't there anymore, but I felt I needed one last goodbye to a place that had haunted and intrigued me so much.

I quickly uttered the password and slipped inside, not even bothering to check if the office was empty and the mirror was out of the cupboard and on the desk before a minute was out. I took a breath and threw my head into its ominous dark surface only to be rebuffed.

Confused, I tried again only with the same result. Growing quite irritated I tried again and again only to be rebuffed every time.

"What is wrong with you?" I said annoyed, shaking the mirror in my hands, when a wand light suddenly appeared next to my left. I let out a gasp and nearly dropped the mirror on the floor as McGonagall walked into her office in her tartan nightgown.

"Miss Margate, so good to see you in my office so late at night," she uttered and with a flick of her wand the brackets on the wall lit up and illuminating the entire office. I stared guiltily at my Head of House and gingerly placed the mirror back on her table, all the while trying to come up with a good excuse.

"So it's been you that has been breaking into my office at night," she remarked with a raised eyebrow and I stared confusedly at her.

"I'm sorry Professor," I replied meekly, fidgeting with my hands. "I just wanted to look into that mirror one more time!"

"That mirror won't let you through to the other side anymore," she spoke and walked towards her desk, picking up the mirror and placing it back in the cupboard where it belonged. I just stared at her, confusion evident on my face.

"Sorry, what?"

"The mirror is connected to atmospheric conditions we have had for the last fortnight and the high concentrates of magic that have been in the air as a result. It is why I brought it out for the seventh years to study and why you were able to go through in the first place," McGonagall explained, turning her piercing gaze upon me.

"I'm sorry I don't understand, Professor. High concentrates of magic?" I queried, baffled beyond belief and wishing I had Jackie here to explain magical theory to me.

"Miss Margate, if you would have paid more attention in class over the last seven years you might be able to answer your own question," McGonagall replied, pursing her lips. "Now go to bed before I change my mind about giving you detention."

"Yes Professor!" I replied quickly and made my way towards the open door, but McGonagall's voice stopped me and I hesitantly turned around to face her.

"Oh and Miss Margate, while I will forgive you now for having broken into my office, which is no doubt related to cabin fever that the students have been suffering from, I'll make it very clear that I will not tolerate such actions in the future. Is that understood?"

"Yes Professor," I replied meekly and darted out of her office, running all the way back towards the Gryffindor common room.

I was still confused and burning with questions, but that night I slept soundly for the first time in two weeks.

* * *

I realised something a few days after the fog had cleared. By this point the castle was returning to normalcy with shocking speed, and it was this relaxation that allowed me to reflect somewhat objectively on the last two weeks. One thing that struck me in particular was the incident between Wood and I in the Forbidden Forest that night. I could not make hide nor hair out of it.

Where we last stood we weren't speaking to each other after the fight and the 7C party back in January just compounded that reason. Yet here we were over two weeks later and acting almost normal around each other.

How had it come to this? I wasn't quite sure how the transition occurred, but one thing was glaringly obvious. Wood and I weren't fighting anymore. Yet we weren't friends either, as can be evidenced by how awkwardly we had been avoiding each other for the last few days.

But somehow, somewhere in between the fear and the mayhem we had come to a truce. I don't quite know what to make of it, but maybe being stuck in that forest; terrified for our lives had been exactly what we needed to bury the hatchet.

Now the bigger question needed to be asked; where do we go from here?

* * *

Chance and circumstance might be one of the driving forces of this world, or any world for that matter, but maybe there are some things that are pre-determined for us. When I asked earlier if in a world that was so like our own and yet so different, would life still unfold the same, it had been a rhetorical question. But maybe it isn't so rhetorical after all, and worth some consideration.

Pre-destination has a lot of merits, but it strips us of our free will which most people aren't very comfortable with. Coupled with the concept that there are so many different versions of us out there, evidence I have seen myself this past two weeks, it leaves us wondering where we stand in this great cosmos.

So while we might wish to get a do-over on a decision, choose differently or at least be given that choice again, we have to remember one thing.

In the end we will always end up where we were meant to be, and that is the ultimate truth.

* * *

**A/N's: Wow this chapter was a difficult one to produce! What started out as an idea after watching a particularly brilliant episode of Fringe grew and morphed into quite a little side project for me. It definitely challenged me more than any other story or chapter so far. I've never tried to write suspense or horror before and I don't think I done it very well, but while parts of this chapter are definitely lacking, I am quite proud of the scene in the forest. **

**Can you guys guess all the references in this chapter? There's a few Radiohead and Eagles song lyrics in here, along with some Fringe themes. **

**Okay on to the next chapter. I'm going back to the normal formula with this one, though maybe it won't be as light as previous chapters, but I can promise you a lot of Chrissie and Wood interaction so that should keep you all happy. **

**Until then,**

**Agrolass**

**xx**

**P.S. As always, please review. It makes me very happy! :-)**


	12. The Ties That Bind One Long Night

**_Chapter 12; The Ties That Bind / One Long Night_**

The ties that bind; caused by acts of kindness and friendship, the result of overcoming obstacles or adversity and living a rich life. No matter where we look, we can see those invisible strings that connect us to our fellow man. They are the lifelines on which so many things rest on. They determine our friendships and allegiances; they mark us from our enemies and help us to survive in this mad world.

What a strange thing to say about friendships; to suppose we are all bound to one another in one form or another. Sometimes when I'm feeling anti-social I like to sit somewhere crowded like the Great Hall and watch the world pass me by and watch as these invisible strings pull and push us in different directions. I watch as the boyfriend drags his feet following his girlfriend who is chattering away to her girly friends, or the friends who are planning their weekends, or the Professor, who was rubbing their rumbling stomach moments before to answer a frenzied question from a do-gooder Prefect instead of hurrying on to his dinner.

We depend on these connections so much to make us happy, to make us sad and to allow us to be sociable. No man, woman or child is an island and we need every one of these connections in our lives to feel happy and fulfilled.

The funny thing is these ties are unbiased. They have no expectation beyond the initial connection; they have no emotions and don't hold grudges. Ties just exist. They connect us, even if it seems like the ties should be broken. Some bonds defy distance, and time, and logic. Because some ties are simply … meant to be.

* * *

"Cedric, give me my quill back!" I squealed, launching myself up from the bench I had been sitting on in the Great Hall and jumping on top of my very mischievous boyfriend perched next to me. His light grey eyes sparkled in unfeigned delight and he held it high above his head and out of my reach. I threw my weight on top of him and listened with satisfaction as he let out a low 'oof' hand still dangling the quill in the air.

It was a Wednesday evening and we were meant to be doing our homework in a sparsely filled Great Hall, but with Cedric's impish grin and his very pleasing body underneath me, Potions essays were the last things on my mind.

"Say the magic word," he purred into my ear and I flashed him a grin through my hair, pausing momentarily to push it behind my ear before I went back to examining those stormy grey eyes.

"What, give it back?" I teased, unwilling to give him the upper hand.

"Ah now Chrissie, I might have to resort to tickling you if you can't say it," Cedric purred and a delightful shiver ran down my spine at his low timbre.

"Is that meant to be a warning?" I inquired, pursing my lips in an attempt not to smile, but failing miserably.

"Right, you asked for it," was his swift response and before I could even muster up a decent defence, his hands dropped the quill on the table and launched for my sides.

"Cedric!" I squealed, voice far too high pitched to sound attractive, but I didn't really care as I struggled against his grip. It didn't help either that I had thrown myself on his lap earlier, as it was making it all the easier for him.

"Please stop," I gasped in between giggles of laughter and plenty of squirming. "I give up!"

"Brilliant!" was Cedric's chuffed response and he dropped his hands on my thighs and watched me with an amused expression on his face.

"That was not playing fair!" I pouted and he rolled his eyes, pulling my face towards him with one hand as he kissed me.

I pulled away, still annoyed at him for tickling me. "And that is definitely not playing fair - " I was cut off by his lips once more and while I should probably object a little more, Cedric always knew how to appease me through a good snog.

Man, I was pathetic.

Ten minutes later after a very thorough snog and a little more under-the-table groping going on than would strictly be allowed in such a common area we came back up for air. Both of our faces were flushed and my hair tragically resembled a bird's nest once more as I righted my cardigan and shot Cedric an impish grin.

"You haven't really told me yet about what happened out in the Forbidden Forest on Saturday night," Cedric queried and I left my cardigan alone as I gazed up into his grey eyes.

"No, I guess I haven't. To be honest I don't quite know what to make of it myself," I replied honestly, fixing Cedric with an earnest gaze.

"Tell me about it," was his simple reply. His hands reached for mine and I smiled down at them.

"Well it was more terrifying than anything I've ever experienced before. The whole time I kept wondering if I was going to make it back to the castle alive again. In hindsight it seems a little silly to think that, but it felt so immediate and real at the time, nothing else registered," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "I'm sorry, I can't really explain it."

"Well I for one, am incredibly glad you weren't out there on your own and that Oliver Wood was there too," Cedric remarked and I looked up at him, a frown marring my features.

"You are?"

"Yeah of course. I'm glad you weren't hurt and that someone else was there. It doesn't really matter who it was to me."

"I'm glad too. I probably would have lost it completely if Wood hadn't been there to reign in my panic," I conceded as images of that night flashed before my eyes. "I'll tell you one thing. Those last two weeks have been the most surreal I have ever had!" I snorted and Cedric nodded his head, a smile on his face.

"Well they're over now, and that's what we should be focusing on," was his simple response and I smiled at my boyfriend. "Now how about we try and finish at least some of this homework!" Cedric said, nodding his head at the stacks of books around us and the scraps of parchment that littered our part of the long house table. I let out a sigh and swung around, pulling the nearest book towards me and began reading it once more.

It got me thinking about Wood though and what he had done for me that night in the forest. It had been an incredibly surreal night and both of us had acted in ways we never would have normally. It did cement one thing, I was indebted to him for what he done for me and whether I liked it or not I was tied to Wood.

I don't resent Wood for what he done for me, in fact I'm quite grateful, but now it's changed our dynamic and I have no idea what to do about it. I wish it hadn't happened. Things were so much easier to understand before that night in the forest and it all compounded into one important thing. I don't know how to act around him anymore.

* * *

The night before the big Gryffindor match against Ravenclaw and we were all amassed on one of the sofas in front of the crackling fire, as usual haphazardly draped over each other. It had been a quiet evening with everyone relaxing and not saying much, save for a long-running commentary of Wood's manic attitude to Quidditch, courtesy of Aiden and Ethan. The boy in question was still at training and I was enjoying just hanging out with my friends without having to worry about how to act around Wood. Well, I was until the portrait door opened and the Gryffindor team minus Harry Potter came trudging in.

"Angelina, did you see how that Firebolt went? I've never seen a broom make such a clean dive before!" Wood exclaimed in ecstasy as Angelina Johnson rolled her eyes, her braids flopping from side to side. They made their way over to where we were sitting and our group gave a rather half-hearted hello to the two.

"Cho Chang won't have a chance against Harry with her Comet Two Sixty, although maybe I should have told him to watch his left when he's going into a dive - " Wood muttered to himself and Angelina sighed, slapping Wood on the shoulder, which got his attention.

"Oliver!" Angelina exclaimed annoyed, fixing her Captain with a fierce glare. "Enough now! We know the Firebolt's amazing and you're gonna leave Harry alone. We all get it you're crazy and you'll probably end up running away with that broom to marry it, but for one evening can you act like a normal human being?" The look on Wood's face, a mixture of confusion and pure shock at being spoken to like that by his teammate was more than enough for us and we dissolved into cackles of laughter.

"Hear, hear Angelina!" Ethan hollered and demanded a high five from the irritated Chaser. She rolled her eyes and grudgingly obliged Ethan before shaking her head at Wood and making her way up to her dormitory.

"Oh that was brilliant to see you being put in your place!" Tess giggled, wiping a tear away from the corner of her eye.

"Well I'm glad I provide such a great amount of amusement to you all," Wood huffed and pushed Ethan over to squeeze onto the sofa. "Especially considering Johnson might as well have been planning a mutiny with how she was acting." He bent down and began untying his boots, slipping one smelly foot out and propping it on the coffee table.

"And do tell Ollie dearest, how many training times did you schedule for this week alone?" Abby queried, one eyebrow raised at the irritated Captain.

"Every night this week. What's your point? And don't call me Ollie!" came his swift reply.

"You are hopeless, mate," Ethan shook his head.

"And by the way Oliver, please get those smelly feet off the coffee table, or I might cause you severe injury. They stink!" Tess declared, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "In fact, go shower. All of you stinks!"

"You wound me Tess!" Oliver pronounced dramatically, getting up and making his way up the boys' dormitory with a smirk on his face.

Quidditch-mad Oliver Wood was back. I wasn't quite sure whether to be happy about that or not.

* * *

The morning of the Quidditch match dawned to a cool and clear day, the exact opposite to the last Gryffindor match and it put us all in the best of spirits. Abby and I dressed eagerly that morning, coordinating our outfits to the Gryffindor team colours and topping it off by wrapping up in our thick Gryffindor scarves. Once ready we headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast with the Quidditch team itself. The guard of honour given for the Firebolt was an extra kick, especially considering we had never seen Fred or George Weasley act so seriously before.

I plopped myself down next to Abby at the table and began ladling baked beans onto my plate as I watched Wood fawn some more over Harry's broom.

"I think someone should warn Harry Potter that Wood is gonna run off with his broom," I muttered to Abby and she nodded her head, snickering away.

"Oh if only it were legal!" she replied dryly, then looked up and nodded her head at Cedric making his way over to our table. "Cedric having breakfast with us today?"

"He never said anything to me," I replied and sent Cedric a warm smile as he came up next to me and bent over to give me a kiss.

"Morning Chrissie, Abby," he said genially and I beamed up at him.

"You eating with us this morning?" I queried and Cedric sent me a sheepish smile, as his eyes strayed over to the Firebolt sitting in the middle of the table.

"Ah, I see," I chuckled, my eyes sparkling as I saw the apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry Chrissie!" he said and I rolled my eyes.

"Go, fawn over the broom by all means!" I laughed and watched as Cedric made his way over to where Harry and Wood were sitting a few seats up from us.

"Wow, congratulations Harry on such a superb replacement!" Cedric said, eyeing the broom with a reverence that would make Wood jealous. Abby and I glanced at each other and then shook our heads, both thinking the same thing. Boys are strange indeed!

The Gryffindor stands all around us were filling up fast with eager and excited Gryffindor students, decked out in our House colours and chatting away. Abby and I were in the process of unrolling the large banner we had made a few nights previous and Tess and Jackie were hunched together in an attempt to keep warm, when Tess suddenly turned to me.

"Hey Chrissie. This has gotta be an interesting match for you."

"How so?" I queried, not looking up from what I was doing.

"It's like the battle of the exes for you!" Tess crowed, rubbing her hands together with glee. "So Chrissie, which one is it gonna be?"

"What?" I cried, startled as I stared at a far too excitable Tess for a Quidditch match. Her blonde hair was bouncing up and down under her woolly hat as she clapped her mitten-covered hands together.

"Which boy is it gonna be?" Tess pressed on, her expression turning mock serious. "In the one corner we have ex number one, Roger Davies; but he cheated on you so he's an asshole. And then in the other corner you have ex number two, Oliver Wood; but he was an ass to you too." Tess paused as she thought through the options. "They're pretty much even in that regard, but Wood at least is a decent bloke, even if he acted like an idiot. Plus that was months ago!"

"Why do I have to choose one of them? Why don't I just choose Cedric?" I queried, sending an exasperated look in Tess' direction.

"Because he's not here and that's no fun!" Tess huffed and I laughed, patting her shoulders.

"Why don't you just make the choice for me, eh Tess?" I offered her, a smile on my face as Tess sighed and then turned to me.

"Maybe I should. You always had a terrible taste in men," she replied haughtily, then added. "Well, save for Cedric."

"Yes, save for Cedric!" I laughed and we turned our attention towards the pitch as the two teams made their way towards Madame Hooch.

As the two Captains faced each other, Madame Hooch perched in between them Tess elbowed me in the ribs and turned her head towards me.

"Do you see the look on their faces?" Tess whispered conspiratorially in my ear. "If looks could kill…"

"Don't you think you're being a bit dramatic, Tess?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow at her. "That was over months ago!"

"Hey, I'm not the one glaring at Davies!" Tess responded, throwing her hands into the air. She gave me a look and I had to grudgingly admit that the two Captains were acting a bit aggressive towards each other, if the glares were anything to go by.

"Looks like it's gonna be a tough match."

* * *

I hadn't been wrong. The match was an especially tough one for Gryffindor and Ravenclaw's Seeker was really giving Harry Potter a run for his money. We were on the edge of our seats and I was pleased to see that even Tess and Jackie were engrossed in the game. Lee Jordan's commentary was also proving to be quite entertaining for the spectators, although McGonagall's angry yells at him to keep on track of the game and not the Firebolt's capabilities put a bit of a damper on it.

Wood was absolutely hilarious, his manic yells punctuating Lee's commentary and for the last five minutes Abby and I had been giggling away to his angry tirade at his Seeker.

"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!" Wood roared and Abby let out a chuckle as I tried to repress the smile on my face. _Dear Merlin, that boy needed some loosening up! _

"KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"

"Someone should tell him that this is only a game," Tess interjected and Abby snorted at that.

"Do you honestly think Oliver would believe that?" she responded and we grinned, shaking our heads.

At that moment, Harry went headfirst into a dive and I was caught for a second at how fast the Firebolt raced towards the ground, Ravenclaw's Seeker, Cho Chang in hot pursuit.

Harry pulled out of the dive so fast I almost didn't catch it and sped off in the other direction, Cho Chang pulling out of the dive quickly and chasing after him. Suddenly a distant scream could be heard and the next thing I realised was that Harry had pulled out his wand out of his robes and had shot a spell at the crowd.

Half of the stands caught on and suddenly everything went deathly still as our attention went towards the corner of the stands.

A loud scream punctuated the silence and I realised what it was. It looked like Dementors standing at the bottom of the stands only the spell had knocked them onto the ground.

The next thing I was aware of was that Madame Hooch had blown her whistle and that Harry Potter was holding the Snitch in his hands.

"GRYFFINDOR WINS!" Lee Jordan's magnified voice roared into the din and the stands all around us erupted in cheers and yells.

Abby and I sprang up from our seats and let out a delighted yell, hugging each other and watching as the Gryffindor team were doing the exact same thing to Harry. They finally landed in a tumble of limbs and before we knew what was happening, the entire Gryffindor stands were emptying and streaming out onto the pitch.

"Woo, we won!" Aiden yelled, appearing next to me and engulfing me in a giant bear hug that had me laughing into his chest. He quickly let me go and Ethan clapped a hand on my back as he dragged me towards the team.

The team itself were standing in the middle of the massive crowd, being hugged and clapped on the back by their fellow classmates. It was at that moment Angelina Johnson appeared next to me, her face flushed and bright with delight and a large grin on her face.

"Amazing game Angelina!" I squealed, hugging the girl and watching as she laughed and nodded her head. "Congrats!"

"Thanks Christina!" she grinned in reply and then was swept up in a hug by Fred Weasley, who proceeded to dance with her on the spot.

Wood and Ethan appeared in front on us and Abby went up and hugged the chuffed Captain, congratulating him on the win. I watched with a smile on my face, unsure how to act with Wood. _Should I congratulate him, or just ignore him as always?_

Thankfully he took the choice out of my hands for he turned to Ethan and Aiden and then promptly declared he was going for a shower and then they would have the biggest party possible in the Gryffindor common room.

George led the cheering and celebrating crowd up towards the castle and we all followed in pursuit, on one of the biggest highs we had all been in months.

* * *

"Woo, Gryffindor won!" an incredibly drunk sixth year student yelled at the top of her voice into the jam-packed common room, standing on a sofa in between a kissing couple and thrusting her drink into the air.

"GRYFF-IN-DOR! GRYFF-IN-DOR! GRYFF-IN-DOR!" the crowd chanted back and I'm loathed to admit it, I was one of the idiotic drunk people chanting along to that exact same mantra for the last five hours.

"Whee!" the girl yelled out, downing her drink, throwing the cup into the crowd and then throwing herself in afterwards. A few squeals of annoyance could be heard, but mostly people laughed, especially when the crowd parted and I could see that she had face-planted herself on the ground. A friend of hers went to check if she was all right, and when she nodded her head in relief a large cheer erupted in the common room.

I was having a whale of a time! I had persuaded the room to let me put on my wireless radio and Dee-Lite's _Groove is in the Heart_ was currently blasting from the wireless standing on the alcohol table. Abby and I were spinning each other around on the make-shift dance-floor, both too drunk to do the song much justice, but giggling and stumbling around none the less. Aiden shuffled his way over to where we were dancing, imitating some very bad disco moves with his arms that just made me laugh some more. The place was noisy, roasting, we were all sweating but it was the most fun we had all had in a very long time.

Aiden suddenly turned towards me, grabbed my arm and spun me around so fast it made me dizzy and weak in the knees, causing us to topple to the floor. Abby stopped dancing to giggle ferociously at us, tears streaming out of her eyes in delight.

"You guys look so…" Abby paused in between the laughter, pointing at us as Ethan sauntered over to see what all the commotion was about. "So idiotic!" she gasped and we had to agree with her.

It took a few stumbles and a bit of flailing, not to mention a lot of help from Ethan to get us standing again, and as soon as we were upright, he dragged us back towards the sofas where Tess and Jackie were perched.

A particularly catchy song came on the radio and Ethan turned to Abby, grabbing her hand and declaring loudly to the group.

"Right, we're going dancing to this song!" He dragged a laughing Abby back out onto the dance floor and I flopped down on the ground next to Tess' legs, trying to get my vision to focus on one object, but finding that all I could see was a warm haze.

"This is a fun party!" I declared drunkenly and Tess and Jackie nodded their heads, sipping away at their drinks. I let the music flow through me, and bopped my head along to the beat, shaking my shoulders along and singing to the lyrics, though my voice was probably off-pitch.

Tess was giggling away, watching my crap attempts at dancing sitting down with great mirth and Jackie was taking to snorting into her drink and trying to suppress a smile.

"I miss Cedric!" I declared loudly to no one in particular, and when I didn't get an answer, I repeated the statement, with a little bit more force.

"I know Chrissie, but he's a Hufflepuff," Jackie said placating and I frowned at her, or at least I tried to only she would stop duplicating in front of my eyes.

"I'm gonna go to him," I said, pushing myself up and swaying slightly on the spot until I got my balance.

"Sure," Tess chuckled, finishing her drink and sitting it down on the coffee table next to her.

"I am!" I pronounced, hands on my hips and I tried to focus on Tess, but she kept swaying from side to side. "I'm going to go to Cedric and I wish you'd stop swaying so much. You're hard to focus on!" I gave her another irritated look and then turned around, trying to push my way through the throng.

"Chrissie, wait!" Tess cried out, running up behind me and grabbing my arm. "You can't leave!"

"Why not?" I cried imperiously, swivelling around and facing my friend. I was always able to look rather convincingly angry when I was drunk, and this was one of those occasions.

"Because you're pissed and if McGonagall or Filch catch you, you're fucked!" Tess implored, acting like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"So?"

"Chrissie, come on and sit down again," Tess spoke, pulling me back towards the sofas where Jackie was still sitting happily.

"No, I want to go and ravish Cedric and you're not going to stop me!" I yelled out and it was at this moment that Abby, Ethan and Wood turned up right next to us. All three were snickering away loudly and if I had been a little more sober I might have felt the sense of mortification I should at that moment.

"Ravish?" Ethan queried, a sly grin on his face. "Do tell Tess, what did we miss? Who is Chrissie running off to ravish?"

"Cedric," Tess spluttered, unable to keep a straight face and all four cracked up again.

"Oi, don't talk about my boyfriend like that!" I cried feeling annoyed that they weren't taking me seriously. "I'm being serious!"

"Of course you are sweetie, now come on back out onto the dance floor," Abby said kindly, taking my hand. "Listen, they're playing _Rhythm is a Dancer_ right now. You like that song, don't you?"

"Yeah," I said sulkily. "But I still wanna go see Cedric!"

"I know you do," she chuckled and led me back out onto the dance floor. Once I started dancing to the music Cedric was promptly forgotten and I resumed making an ass out of myself trying drunkenly to dance.

* * *

About three hours later I had managed to sober up enough to be keenly aware of my surroundings and also of how stupid I had been acting before. The dance floor had become my home for the last few hours and in between the drinks table and the dance floor; I had not moved more than twenty steps.

We had also been rather evil friends and dared Jackie to down cup after cup of Firewhiskey in an attempt to get her drunk. Not that it was a very hard feat, mind you. Jackie was a notorious light-weight and even though she always said she didn't want to get drunk, we had cajoled her into it, until she was quite happily downing shot after shot herself.

It had started out as a simple dare by Ethan and Aiden to see if she would go for it, and proceeded into a social experiment, as Abby liked to say.

"Seriously, have any of us actually ever seen her rotten?" she declared to the group and we all had to agree it might not be such a bad idea.

Jackie was currently twirling around on the spot next to us in her own little world, a large grin plastered onto her sweaty face and her auburn hair falling out of its loose knot. It was so amusing to see her so relaxed and free, stumbling over her feet and trying and failing miserably to speak normally.

"Why did you have to get me so in- in- inebriated!" Jackie declared, shaking her head to no doubt clear the fogginess.

"Because you're so much more fun this way!" I beamed at her. "Just consider this payback from earlier."

"Yes, but I'm common - " Jackie began, spluttering over her words and Tess patted her on the shoulder, a smile on her face.

"It's okay sweetie, we won't think any less of you!"

"-sensical!" Jackie declared loudly and we giggled away again.

"Alright then, Miss Sensical," Wood said good-naturedly, a genial smile on his face, taking Jackie's hand as he spun her around. "Let's get you on the dance floor and you can try the big words again afterwards." He led her out onto the crowded space and began twirling her around, performing some very nice dance moves in the process.

I watched Jackie dancing so carefree with Wood and it made me realise that Wood and I had perfected the art of avoiding one another during the party. We were frighteningly good at it. There was never a malicious word or look passed between us, and I don't think any of our friends even noticed the act. It seemed we were performing our own social dance, pirouetting around one another.

Just as I would leave the group to get a drink or talk to someone else, Wood would join our group and when Wood had disappeared I would reappear once more.

You could almost assume we were one and the same person that night at the party, for we were hardly ever at the same place at the same time. But I didn't mind it, nor did I feel the need to be angry or annoyed with Wood for it. We both didn't know where we stood with one another, so avoidance was the best option. In the end it meant there were no fights for the night and everyone could continue having fun.

All in all everyone was having the time of their lives, probably no doubt because we all needed this party after the hellish couple of weeks we had just been through. Everyone seemed to be in agreement with me, for even Percy Weasley was tipsy and blatantly ignoring rule breaking occurring right under his nose, being performed by his twin brothers no less.

I leaned my back against a pillar and observed the drunken crowd around me, a devious smile twisting on my face as I thought of the hangover everyone would have in the morning. Oh what fun that was going to be!

"That's it, everyone!" the loud and decidedly angry dulcet tones of Professor McGonagall rang out through the crowded and buzzing common room. She aimed her want at the wireless standing on a table and deftly switched the music off. It took us a few seconds to realise that there was no more music to dance to, and we stopped flailing our arms around drunkenly to stare perplexed at a displeased McGonagall.

"It's one in the morning and it's about time everyone heads to bed!" she promptly declared, one hand on her tartan dressing gown as she pointed to the stairs behind us.

"Ah, but Professor!" Fred Weasley cried, walking towards our Head of House, a puppy-dog look on his face.

"No buts Mister Weasley," she ordered sharply and we all sighed and turned towards the stairs, the sober ones supporting those too drunk to be able to make it on their own. How McGonagall wasn't flaying us all alive for being pissed out of our minds was beyond my understanding. Maybe, she was just waiting to punish us when we were all hung-over in the morning. I always knew she had a sadistic streak to her.

Tess had her arm around a swaying Jackie and Abby was clinging onto me for dear life as we said goodnight to everyone else and dejectedly made our way up to our dormitory, though not without bumping in to a few objects along the way. We had consumed far too much alcohol for our own good after all.

* * *

It was the slamming of a door coming from the common room below that pulled me out of my restless sleep.

"Huh, what's going on?" a befuddled Denise called out in the dark and I could hear the other girls sitting up in their beds. I pulled my wand towards me and flicked on the lights, the brightness momentarily blinding me.

"Who the fuck is banging doors so late at night?" a grumpy and very tired Tess let out and I looked over to see Abby pulling herself out of bed and tying her dressing gown closed.

Even with the doors closed we could hear a commotion coming from the common room and Denise quickly jumped out of bed and pulled on a jumper and a pair of jeans.

"Goodie, does that mean we're starting the party up again?" she queried dazedly and I shrugged my shoulders a grin on my face, deciding it really wasn't too late to start it up again. The alcohol was still pumping through my blood stream creating a soft hazy glow around everything and a party at three in the morning seemed like a perfect plan. Feeling a little lightheaded, I grabbed a hold of my bedpost before righting myself up and throwing a jumper over my oversized t-shirt.

Abby, Denise and I drunkenly darted down the stairs, followed by an angry Tess and a very tired Jackie, Anne-Marie and Sally. We arrived at the bottom of the stairs to see that Harry Potter and one of the younger Weasleys were having a conversation as more and more students started arriving, crowding around the third years to see what the commotion was about.

"Excellent, are we carrying on?" Fred Weasley quipped brightly, making his way towards the table with the discarded alcohol and grabbing a half-empty bottle of Firewhiskey.

"Everyone, back upstairs!" Percy said imperiously from the top of the boys' seventh year dormitory and Abby and I rolled our eyes, ignoring our Head Boy and making our way over towards the alcohol table.

"Perce – Sirius Black!" Ron Weasley uttered faintly, then elaborated. "In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!"

The common room went very still as we all focused on the youngest male Weasley and digested what he had just said. It was Percy that broke the silence.

"Nonsense!" he cried, looking startled at such a statement. "You had too much to eat, Ron – had a nightmare – "

"Now, really, enough's enough!" Professor McGonagall appeared once more in her tartan nightgown and hairnet as she slammed the portrait door behind her and entered the common room. She glared furiously at all of us, and we all put our heads down in shame at being caught out of beds. Fred, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, was quickly stashing the empty Firewhiskey bottles behind the sofa and out of view from McGonagall.

"I'm delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"

"I certainly didn't authorise this, Professor!" Percy cried, puffing himself up indignantly. "I was just telling them all to go back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare – "

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron yelled out and we all turned our attention back to the gangly redhead. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"

Professor McGonagall stared at him, unable to comprehend the words.

"Don't be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have got through the portrait hole?"

"Ask him!" Ron cried, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan's picture. "Ask him if he saw – "

McGonagall sent Ron Weasley a suspicious glance as we watched her walk outside and ask the portrait.

"Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?"

"Certainly, good lady!" he cried in response as a stunned silence filled the common room. I could feel Tess' fingers squeezing on my arm and I looked at Abby, worried.

"You – _you_ did?" McGonagall said, then spluttered on. "But – but the password!"

"He had 'em!" Sir Cadogan announced proudly. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"

Professor McGonagall unsteadily came walking back into the common room, pulling the portrait door closed behind her. It was only then that I noticed she was as white as chalk.

"Which person," she said, her voice shaking, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"

There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, a third year, who was trembling from head to foot raised his hand slowly into the air.

The crowd split into two, the younger students freaking out and making a lot of commotion, while the older students turned on Neville Longbottom and glared at him for his incompetence.

"That's enough!" McGonagall said loudly, raising her hands into the air and silencing the crowd. "You are all to remain in the Tower for the night, while the castle is searched. Do I make myself clear?" We all nodded our heads as McGonagall turned to Percy, who stood up straight and fixed his Head boy badge onto his dressing gown.

"Percy, I expect my orders to be followed through. Is that understood?"

"Yes Professor," he replied solemnly and McGonagall nodded at him before scanning the many faces taking in their fear and anxiety. She turned around and swiftly left the common room, leaving behind a mass of confusion and terror.

"What the hell – " Abby commented, her voice low, and I noticed that her large brown eyes were wide with fear. She then turned to me, her eyebrows knitting with worry as she added, "Chrissie?"

I had stopped paying attention to her as panic coursed through my veins, infusing itself into my muscles and paralysing my movements. The memory of the night in the Forbidden Forest came rushing back to me with all its horror, as the only thing I could focus on was how terrified I was.

* * *

The first thing I spotted was that Chrissie was as pale as a ghost and that she was wearing a faraway look on her face. The second thing my senses picked up was the sound of clicking fingers and from my peripheral vision I saw that Jackie next to me was the one clicking her fingers.

I instantly knew something was wrong with her and another second had me realise that she was rocking to and fro on the balls of her feet, too slight for anyone else to notice. But she was my best friend, so I could always tell. She was far too quiet, even for her and apart from looking pale there were no other outward signs. There was definitely something wrong with her.

Ethan and Aiden seemed to notice at the same time, for they made their way over to Jackie and started pestering her with queries that got me annoyed. _Did they not know anything about her at all?_ Jackie hated being coddled when she was upset and I could see her rapidly looking away. She wanted space and they weren't giving it to her.

"Guys, enough!" I said crossly as I walked up to Jackie and gave both Ethan and Aiden a reproachful look. I crouched down and looked at my best friend, but she was avoiding my eyes.

"Jackie's it's gonna be okay," I murmured quietly, placing a hand on her arm. "It's okay to be terrified, but nothing is going to happen to you." Jackie wasn't listening to me, though and this worried me even more. I hadn't seen Jackie so terrified since we tackled Boggarts in our sixth year and the vision of half a dozen Death Eaters marching towards us in the crowded classroom and freaking out our former Defence Professor so much she fainted.

"Jackie?" I tried again, and she finally glanced up at me, her lower lip quivering just slightly. "They are not going to hurt you. Dumbledore and all the other Professors will make sure of that. He's only a lone Death Eater; he can't hurt you. I won't let him!" I squeezed her hand hard and I was relieved to feel she was squeezing mine back.

Behind me I could hear Aiden and Ethan muttering amongst themselves, but I chose to ignore them and focus on my best friend. She needed me.

"Mate, what's wrong with Jackie?" Ethan whispered towards Aiden, leaning his head over to the left so they could have their conversation in private.

"Haven't you heard?" Aiden whispered back, crossing his arms and keeping his gaze fixed on Jackie. "Her dad was murdered by Death Eaters and she grew up in hiding because of it."

* * *

I had taken to pacing in a circle in the common room, a few metres away from the group as I tried my hardest to get my racing heart to slow its beat. All around me students were huddled together, hugging each other or talking tersely under their breaths. No one wanted to make a noise and no one wanted to do anything else than stand there on the spot in fear. My mind was racing a million miles an hour, jumping from conclusions to conclusions, each one more preposterous than the last, but that's the nature of panic. None of it is rational.

I suppressed a shudder as the tears began rolling down my cheeks, and I let out a jagged breath in an attempt to calm myself down. I needed my wits about myself, but all I could do was panic.

Wood broke off from the group that was still huddled around Jackie and made his way over to me, a frown marring his handsome face. I paid him no heed and spun on my heel once more to pace the other direction.

"Margate," he said simply and I finally looked up, seeing my panic reflecting in his emerald eyes. He cocked his head to the side as he took in my trembling form, the tear tracts on my face and the way my hands would clench and unclench at my sides.

He took a deep breath and stepped towards me, placing a warm hand on my arm, which I watched numbly.

"Margate, you need to sit down," he uttered firmly and I dimly noticed that he was using his Captain's voice for it was filled with authority. I nodded mutely and let him lead me towards an empty sofa at the other side of the common room. With his hand against my shoulder he firmly pushed me down and stood over me for a moment, expression critical.

I glanced away; his countenance was too intense for me and focused on the burgundy carpet on the floor. There was a burn mark next to my left foot that was oddly rectangular.

"Look it's alright to be afraid, Margate," Wood spoke and I nodded my head, not looking up. I heard him sigh and then the sofa dipped as he sat down next to me, though thankfully there was quite a bit of distance between us.

"You can't let that fear rule you," he went on and I slowly looked up as another shiver ran down my spine.

"Why doesn't it bother you?" I croaked and I could see the levers working in his brain as he thought how best to answer the question.

"Someone has to keep their wits about them," he replied simply and I looked away. For a moment there, I had hoped he might be honest with me, but what was I expecting? It was Wood after all.

I made to get up and return to the guys, when a hand on my arm stopped me once more and I looked down to see it was Wood's. The expression on his face was unreadable and I paused.

"It bothers me too, Margate. Especially after that night in the Forbidden Forest," he confessed quietly and my eyes widened at his admission, caught between walking away and staying. It seemed the decision was made for me, when Wood looked up at me with such honesty in his eyes I nodded my head and relented.

I slid back down onto the sofa and we sat in silence for a few minutes, not sure what to say or who should speak first.

The awkwardness surrounding us for the last few days was back, only this time it was ten times worse and I wasn't quite sure how to act. It seemed that for anyone to make any progress, I had to take the first step.

So I took a deep breath and spoke, "It feels like the danger this time is real and what we had a couple of weeks ago was nothing more than a nightmare, one I wish were happening right now. This, this real terror is so much worse!"

"Listen, Margate. That night in the forest changed things and I don't know how we're supposed to act around one another anymore. This is new territory for me, so you're gonna have to give me a bit," Wood confessed and my brow crinkled in confusion. He had never been so open to me before, and it was a strange experience to behold.

A part of me found the whole thing incredibly ironic and I smiled wistfully.

"Well," I began, formulating the right words, as I tucked my legs in under me. "We could try starting from square one again."

Wood seemed to contemplate this, because he looked away with a distant expression on his face, while I took to playing with my hair to distract myself from the awkward tension surrounding us once more.

His attention returned to me, an inscrutable look on his face as he nodded his head. "Okay."

"Okay," I said back, then took a deep breath and said the one thing I had wanted to say to Wood for weeks. "If we're gonna aim for a clean slate, then I think we would need to resolve a few issues between us first."

"Like what?" Wood queried, his voice low as he fixed me with one of his intense gazes. I blinked and used all my willpower not to look away.

"I would like an apology for how you treated me during that fight before Christmas," I said evenly, surprised that my voice was holding steady.

Wood's eyes darkened and his gaze grew steadily more severe. "You want an apology?"

"Yes," I replied simply. I tried to keep my voice as devoid of emotion as possible, but I could see that Wood was already growing angry.

"I've nothing to apologise to you for. You're the one who went running off with their mouth!" Wood bit back and I could hear he was trying to control the anger within him. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"Wood, you were an asshole to me, so why would it be so preposterous if I want an apology?"

"You know what, this was a dumb idea," Wood bit out, getting up from the sofa in a huff. I had to act quickly, so my hand went out and caught his arm, holding him in place. His head slowly swivelled around to face me as I looked up at him.

"I never meant to go spilling private things about you to Karine!" I uttered, my hand still firmly around his lower arm. "I'm sorry that I done it because it really wasn't my intention, but you have to see that you're far too sensitive about this Karine thing!"

"You can't just go off and tell her a whole load of private things and not expect me to get pissed off about it," he said tersely and I sighed, wondering how I was going to get through to him.

This was becoming a lot more frustrating than I had expected it to, and it was proving difficult to keep my temper in check.

"It wasn't like that!"

"How was it?" Wood said angrily, his emerald eyes flashing. "You'd just sit around and share jokes about me, swapping stories on how awful I am as a boyfriend?"

"Merlin's beard, Wood!" I cried out, jumping up from the sofa as my hands went into my hair in vexation. "How many times do I have to say it wasn't like that, until you believe me?" I shot him an exasperated glare as my hands dropped to my sides once more.

"Karine was just consoling me for my lousy luck with blokes, that is all. It's not quite the crisis situation you make it out to be! If I said something to her I shouldn't have, then I'm sorry, but you have to accept that I'm friends with her!"

"What about your behaviour that night?" Wood queried, raising an eyebrow at me and I frowned at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he was on about.

"What?"

"You were a bitch to me that night. If I have to apologise for how I acted, so should you," Wood said and eyed me evenly, his arms crossed in front of his chest. It made his biceps look larger than normal in his fitted t-shirt.

"Fair enough," I relented, somewhat relieved that Wood was being reasonable. "I'm sorry Wood."

"I'm sorry too Margate," Wood replied and I noticed that the corners of his mouth were quirking upwards. It made me smile and I shook my head at the two of us.

"See, that wasn't so hard!" I joked and Wood was trying very hard to suppress a smile.

"Don't know about you Margate…" Wood said, trailing off and I felt like punching him in the arm for that comment.

"Gobshite," I muttered and Wood grinned wolfishly at me.

Then his expression turned serious once more and he added, "If you and I are gonna put this behind us, then you've to stop being such a bitch to me, just because I wasn't that nice to you at the start of the year."

"What?" I said, growing offended at the picture he was painting of me.

"You're giving out to me for holding grudges against you because you're mates with Karine, yet you're the one whose holding grudges against me for something that happened back in October," Wood explained and I frowned at him, ready to give him a piece of my mind about he deserved it because he was such an asshole to me, when he raised his hand into the air and continued on.

"If we're gonna start off with a clean slate it goes both ways. You can't keep holding that against me," Wood said.

"Fine," I bit out slowly, giving him a withering stare.

"Good girl," Wood chuckled, clapping me on the back, which only made me glare at him some more.

...

"Wood, you and I are gonna have to come to some sort of a resolution regarding Karine if we're gonna be friends," I spoke and I noticed how a nerve began twitching on Wood's temple as he eyed me critically across from the sofa.

He replied, tight-tipped, "What are you suggesting?

"You're entitled to your own opinion, but you've to allow me to make up my own mind about my friends without judging me for it," I said evenly, crossing and uncrossing my legs. I fidgeted with my hair as I watched Wood's stony expression.

"I'm not trying to force you to change your mind, but you have to accept that I'm friends with people you don't necessarily like," I went on, shifting on the sofa so I was facing him. Our knees were almost touching as I focused my entire attention on the boy across from me.

"I refuse to judge people on others' assumptions. You're just going to have to accept that."

The muscle in Wood's jaw moved as he glanced away from me, a serious expression on his face and I had the feeling that if he couldn't accept this requirement, we would never be friends.

A moment later he turned back to me and said slowly, "Fine, but I'm off-limits in your conversations. I mean it, Margate."

I snorted at the serious expression on his face and added lightly, "Don't worry you're not that interesting to ever be a constant topic for us!" When I saw that he couldn't take the joke, I sighed and laid a hand out on his arm and added, "I'm kidding, Wood. You're meant to laugh, or at the very least tell me I've a terrible sense of humour."

"You've a terrible sense of humour," Wood intoned dryly and I grinned at him, swatting his arm lightly.

Having run out of things to say, Wood and I both glanced over to where our friends were sitting at the other side of the common room. Jackie looked like she was doing better, and feeling suddenly incredibly guilty for just leaving her. I quickly got up and told Wood I'd be back in a few minutes. I made my way across the common room, taking in the many worried faces of my fellow Gryffindors and wondering if they were feeling the panic and fear as keenly as I had an hour ago.

I paused when I reached the group, and saw that Jackie was sitting facing the fireplace with Abby on one side and Aiden on the other. Tess glanced up when I approached and quickly got up, walking towards me with a serious expression on her face. She was always such a jovial and easy-going person that it was strange to see Tess so worried.

"How's Jackie doing?" I inquired, tone low so no one else would hear us.

Tess wound her arm through mine and led me away from the group before she answered.

"She's okay now. How are you holding up? You looked like you were freaking out when we all first found out," she replied and I smiled warmly at her.

"I'm okay. Wood calmed me down and it helped a lot," I said softly and Tess took the opportunity to peek around me at where Wood was still sitting behind us.

"What's going on with you and Oliver?" she hissed furiously, glancing at Wood once more before fixing me with an urgent look.

"I'll tell you about it later. I just wanted to see how Jackie is doing," I responded and Tess nodded solemnly.

"I'll expect a good answer from you though. Now you'd better go back to him," Tess added with a smirk on her face and I sighed, shaking my head.

"Go!" Tess shooed me away, sending me off with a smirk on her face and a wave as I sighed and trudged back to where Wood was sitting on the sofa.

Wood raised an eyebrow at me and I shook me head, muttering, "Don't even ask!"

He smirked at me, but thankfully didn't reply.

...

"What about Quidditch?" I asked Wood, drawing my knees up and hugging them towards my body. It was at this moment that I sorely regretted not putting on a pair of warm trousers before I went down to the common room. My legs were freezing and we were sitting quite a bit away from the fireplace, but if I got up I might never get a chance to resolve all the issues with Wood.

"Quidditch? Merlin's beard, Margate!" Wood sighed, running a hand through his messy ochre hair as he glanced back up at me. "Are you still harping on about that? I said I was sorry to you months ago! Besides you know so much about Quidditch you really should consider becoming a sports journalist!"

"Are you serious?" I asked him, not quite believing his outburst.

Wood rolled his eyes at me and said, "You know you're a good writer."

I didn't know what to say to that compliment. I blushed as I glanced away, secretly quite pleased that Wood thought so highly of my writing skills. Not knowing what to say, I mumbled out an awkward 'thanks' and let the awkward silence wash over us once more.

...

"You know, Margate," Wood began and I looked up at him to see he was awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, refusing to meet my eyes. "About Roger Davies. I'm sorry for how I tried to warn you away from him months ago. You're probably well aware by now that I've a habit of insulting people when I'm trying to tell them something serious."

I smiled at him and nodded my head silently, knowing I shouldn't but in until he finished saying what he wanted to get off his chest.

"The point I'm trying to make is I shouldn't have butted into your private life."

"I get it Wood and I do appreciate what you were trying to do, even though as you pointed out, it ended up sounding quite insulting," I replied, my mouth curving into a smile at the last part. I brushed a stray lock of hair in behind my ear and continued on. "You were just trying to look out for me and I don't think I ever thanked you for it. Not many blokes would have, especially those that had absolutely no obligation to. And considering our history, too."

"You're not gonna give out to me now about what you and I got up to at the end of sixth year, are you?" Wood joked, winking at me and I blushed at the memory of his warm hands tracing delicate patterns all over my body.

I mentally shook my head to rid my brain of those thoughts and looked away, embarrassed. I could hear Wood chuckle next to me and felt it vibrating through the sofa.

"So, what do you think the Tornados chances are for the Cup this year?" I asked, changing the topic to something a lot safer.

...

An hour or more passed, punctuated by sparse conversations and easy silence in which we sat in each other's company with no desire to return to the group. It was nice and easy, and if a friendship with Oliver Wood would be like this, then it's something I should have considered many months ago.

Although there was one thing still bothering me, and I didn't know if I had the courage to bring up the last issue between us. It was much more personal than any of the others and I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to know the answer to it.

Unfortunately for me, Wood seemed to have caught on that my attention wasn't fully on him and he asked me, "What's up Margate?"

"Sorry?" I replied, glancing back at the frowning face of Oliver Wood.

"You were a million miles away there. Care to share?" he spoke as his fingers played with the worn and faded crimson sofa cover.

"I was just wondering why you broke up with me," I said, surprised that there wasn't a quiver in my voice as I uttered those words, because on the inside I was nervous as hell.

Wood opened his mouth, but then paused and closed it again, a frown marring his forehead. It seemed he was as unsure about the question as I was.

"I don't know how to answer that without sounding like a prick, so I'm just gonna go for honesty," he uttered and I slowly nodded my head to let him know I agreed.

"You just seemed so serious about us and everyone expected so much from us that it freaked me out, to be honest. It was just too much commitment, so that's why I ended it with you," Wood said, not once making eye contact with me while he uttered those words. I saw as his shoulders shrugged and finally he looked up at me. His emerald eyes seemed duller than before, or maybe that was just my imagination.

"I felt bad about how I done it almost as soon as the words were outta my mouth. I remember trying to talk to you about it in the days afterwards and when we had that detention with Sprout, but you were so angry you wanted nothing to do with me," Wood finished, his piercing eyes boring into my soul. I looked away, finding the whole thing too intense as the memory of that Herbology detention flashed in front of my eyes. His eyes had said it all then too, but I had been too angry to see it.

It was strange looking back on the event months later and seeing it with a clarity I couldn't have at the time. As much as I wanted Wood to be wrong, he had a point. But I could not forgive him that easily.

"You could have had a bit of sensitivity about the entire situation and not handled it like that," I reminded him with an arched eyebrow. "In fact you could have handled it any other way and it would have been better."

I could tell Wood was growing defensive again as his posture suddenly straightened and his eyes glinted in a way they only did when he was angry. He squared his shoulders and stared at me, before answering.

"Are you seriously gonna start on me about that again?" Wood said defensively, crossing his arms across his chest and I let out an irritated sigh.

"No, I'm not. I'm just pointing out the obvious!" I retorted, crossing my arms as well so that we were mirroring positions.

"So you're just gonna hold this over my head for the rest of time," Wood rebutted defiantly and I ground my teeth in frustration.

"Relax Wood!" I cried out, "You have to stop getting so defensive every time I say something negative. I'm just saying from my point of view you really could have handled it better, that's all!"

"Right," Wood spoke tightly, his arms still firmly crossed, but I noticed that the glint was dulling in his eyes.

"I'm not asking you to get on your knees and beg for forgiveness, I would just like you to acknowledge that it wasn't a very nice thing to do," I added, letting out a sigh and dropping my hands onto my lap. "I'm not asking for the world here Wood, and I'm not asking you to change the past, just an acknowledgment, that's all."

"I'm sorry Chrissie," Wood said softly, catching my eyes and holding my gaze. It was too much for me so I pulled my head away, but a hand reached out and touched my cheek, holding me in place.

Wood must have thought I didn't believe him, for he looked at me so earnestly before adding, "You're pretty special and I never appreciated you and for that I'm sorry."

"Okay," I uttered hoarsely, nodding slowly at him and seeing his face relax. He nodded back at me, a smile tickling the corner of his mouth and finally he let go of my cheek.

"It was one strange relationship you and I had," I said, chuckling at the memory.

"I think we gave dysfunctional a whole new meaning," Wood joked and I laughed lightly, finally months later able to see the lighter side of it.

"It really couldn't have worked, you and I. I mean we knew nothing of each other and you can't have a relationship based on attraction alone," I conceded, letting out a breath and glancing back down at my hands. It was exhausting stuff baring your soul and I didn't know how much more I could do of it.

"You're right," Wood agreed, sitting up straighter, tucking one leg in under the other so he was sitting facing me. "We can't be friends if we don't know each other." A slow smile spread across his face as he held out his hand and I eyed it curiously.

"My name's Oliver Wood," he spoke, his Scottish accent suddenly coming to the fore.

"I know who you are, Wood," I remarked dryly, smiling at him.

Wood rolled his eyes and added, "Just play along, Margate!"

"Alright," I conceded, feeling a little ridiculous, but deciding I might as well. "Nice to meet you. I'm Christina Margate, but you can call me Chrissie."

"It's lovely to meet you lass," Wood replied, his thick Scottish accent making his words sound melodic.

"So you're Scottish," I teased, pointing out the obvious.

Wood laughed at that, throwing his head back, his eyes twinkling, "I dinnae know about that!"

"You're not one of those Scots who wears nothing under their kilt, are you?" I teased, going along with the playful tone. I was very pleased to see a lovely shade of red appearing on Wood's cheeks.

"So tell me Mister Oliver Wood, since I don't know anything about you. Any siblings?"

"Nope, I'm an only child," he responded and then added, "You?"

"Same," I replied simply and then asked him. "Middle name?"

"James," he replied, grimacing at the name.

"Really?" I asked, surprised, as I raised my eyebrows. "Never would have thought of you as a James."

"Yeah it was my grandda's," Wood replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "How about you?"

"I haven't got one," I said, shrugging my shoulders and then changed tack, a glint in my eye. "So what's your favourite Quidditch team?"

"Pride of Portree," Wood replied matter of factly and my eyebrows went up at that one.

"You're a fan of the Prides?" I remarked, surprised. "But they haven't had a decent league win since the sixties!"

"So? They're one of the few Scottish teams in the league and you always gotta support your own. What about you?" Wood remarked, deflecting me away from laughing at his rather poor choice in Quidditch teams. Well, at least he didn't support the Chudley Cannons.

"I'm an Appleby Arrows fan through and through!" I said proudly, jutting my chin out at that one.

"It explains the jersey then, but I would have thought you'd support the Falmouth Falcons. You're from around that area in Cornwall, aren't you?" Wood queried.

"I am. I'm actually from Falmouth but I tried to join their junior league as a kid and they told me I wasn't good enough to play Quidditch so I stopped liking them after that. It broke my dad's heart as he's a die-hard fan," I chuckled at the memory, smiling wistfully as the memory of a nine-year old me flitted in front of my eyes trying desperately to catch a Quaffle. I would never tell Wood, but I had once dreamed of becoming a Keeper on a professional Quidditch team.

"So that's why you never played Quidditch at Hogwarts," Wood mused aloud and then turned his attention back to me. "Apart from supporting Quidditch teams that are no-where near where you live, what else don't I know about you?"

"Speak for yourself! Portree? Why not just support the Magpies?" I retorted good-naturedly, though I waved that aside and sat up straighter, my fingers tapping on the sofa in between my legs where I sat Indian-style.

"I detest rain and the cold!"

"You serious, lass?" Wood snorted, his eyes crinkling in amusement. "But you're British?"

"And being British also means complaining and detesting our British weather," I responded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You're not gonna tell me you're a big hardy Scottish man who scoffs at the rest of us for not liking the rain and considers trips into the highlands an afternoon jaunt?" I snorted, raising an eyebrow at Wood.

"Ack, no!" Wood scoffed, shaking his head so that his ochre hair glinted in the candlelight. "I'm from Edinburgh. I like my city comforts."

And we continued in that vein for the rest of what was left of the night, swapping personal stories. Wood and I, after years of knowing each other were finally getting to really know one another, and it was nice.

...

By seven a.m. the first signs of the morning could be seen outside the small stained windows in the Gryffindor common room. Wood and I paused in our conversation as we glanced out of the window to see the sky gradually growing lighter with the oncoming new day. I could tell he was as relieved as I was that dawn was finally breaking over Hogwarts, and the terror of Sirius Black breaking into the castle could be washed away with the night.

I glanced around the common room and took in the exhausted faces of my fellow Gryffindors, how the younger students could barely keep their eyes open while the older ones were still sitting in small groups, huddled around each other for warmth and comfort.

To my left on the other side of the common room I could tell that Jackie was still sitting and wide-awake, while Abby was napping, leaning against Aiden on the sofa.

I pulled my gaze back to Wood, who was busy staring out of the window, and saw that dark circles were forming under his eyes. He looked as exhausted as I felt, no doubt much worse than I was because I hadn't played an exhausting match the day before. I wondered too at that moment, how he always had the manic energy for Quidditch, yet still performed well in school. It was utterly baffling how that boy could fit it all in.

Wood's head slowly spun back around and I glanced away, not wanting to be caught staring at him. We might be friends again, but it was too soon for me to be teased by him for weird behaviour, and that would certainly count as weird behaviour.

"You alright, Margate?" Wood questioned me and I smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

...

Twenty minutes later the silence in the Gryffindor common room was broken by the sound of the portrait hole opening up and I noticed how almost every head turned towards it with bated breath. Thankfully it was Professor McGonagall who stepped through and I let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding. She looked noticeably more tired, still in her dressing gown and hairnet, but the haggard lines on her face that are usually a sign of worry were gone.

I could feel the tension of the entire common room as it turned towards our Head of House, suddenly very anxious.

"Sirius Black has escaped once more," a weary McGonagall announced to the silent room, rubbing her eyes as she eyed us all tiredly. "Everyone should head to bed and get some sleep. Percy, I trust that you will get everyone to bed?" McGonagall spoke and Percy puffed himself up, sticking his chest out with the Head Boy badge attached. I would have giggled and made a witty remark if the situation wasn't so serious.

McGonagall spun around on her heel and walked out of the common room as the room erupted with life and noise once more. I could see that people were more relieved; they were chatting cautiously with one another and the worry was wearing off on others' faces.

"Come now, bed-time!" Percy yelled out, carolling the younger students towards their staircases. From the corner of my eye where we were sitting, I could see Fred and George Weasley tiredly trying to get the party starting once again, but no one was up for it.

Wood and I glanced at each other, knowing that this long night was finally over. It had been a rollercoaster ride for everyone involved and I for one needed a good night's sleep. There was a lot to process and most of it involved the Scottish boy sitting next to me, my new friend.

"We should go too," Wood spoke softly and I nodded my head at him. We both got up from the sofa at the same time and I paused to stretch out my stiff limbs. We silently made our way back to the rest of the group and as a collective consciousness we headed towards the staircases leading to the boys' and girls' dormitories.

"Goodnight everyone," Wood uttered tiredly and a chorus of replies answered him. He began climbing the staircase, then paused and turned around to look at me.

"Night, Margate," he said softly and I nodded my head, smiling back at him.

"Night Wood," I replied and watched as he climbed up the staircase before turning back to Abby, Jackie and Tess. Abby was half asleep, leaning against Jackie so I went over and relieved Jackie of the pressure, slinging an arm around Abby's waist and holding her upright.

"We'd better go to bed too, Abby's about ready to conk out again," I uttered and I began climbing the staircase, Tess and Jackie following in my footsteps. The entire time as we readied ourselves for bed in the bright morning sunshine Tess kept asking about Wood but I was too tired to answer her.

* * *

I couldn't sleep. It really shouldn't be that surprising, considering what had happened in the Gryffindor Tower a few hours previous, but I still a bit miffed about the fact. I tossed some more in my bed, sheets tangling in my legs, before I let out a frustrated sigh and sat up.

The dormitory was far too bright and even though my heavy crimson curtains were closed, the light still seeped through, an unwelcome sight. I pulled back a curtain and glanced at my bedside clock, letting out a disgruntled sigh when it read that it was only after eleven in the morning. I had gotten a measly three hours sleep. There was nothing else to be done, so I swung my legs round and gingerly got out of bed. I pulled on an extra thick cardigan and my comfy slippers, before slipping quietly out of the room. It seemed that the girls had no trouble sleeping; their curtains were still firmly closed.

As far as I could tell from my first glance, no-one was in the common room, not that I expected anyone to still be up, but as I turned on my heel I spotted Jackie sitting in a corner on a hard wooden chair. I guess I wasn't the only one up after all.

"Jackie?" I said, as I approached her and I watched as the curtain of auburn hair lifted when Jackie raised her head. Though she was naturally pale, she looked whiter than usual and I crouched down in front of her, my hand on her armrest.

"How come you're not sleeping?" I asked, observing as Jackie's light green eyes dulled.

"I couldn't sleep. How come you're not up there too?" she responded simply and I smirked at her reply.

"I guess sleep has been eluding the both of us," I smiled wryly.

"I wonder if it will ever be safe. You-Know-Who's been gone for thirteen years and I still don't feel safe. I honestly don't know how Harry Potter does it, knowing that Sirius Black is out to kill him like he killed his parents," Jackie mused, gripping her hands tightly as she wrung them out.

I sat down next to her, feeling the sofa sag beneath my weight as I placed my hand on top of hers and she slowly raised her head up at me.

"We're here for you, Jackie and they'll catch Black soon. It'll be okay," I reassured her, but I wondered how much of my words Jackie believed.

"Hey," I said, changing tack. "Do you remember how we first became friends?"

"The end of second year," Jackie thought aloud, a slow smile spreading across her face at the memory. "You and Abby were already friends with Tess and somehow you decided I'd be the perfect fourth friend."

"More like Tess thought you'd make a great best friend. Abby and I couldn't understand your friendship because you were opposite in every possible way, but I guess that's the reason why it worked," I chuckled, glancing over at Jackie next to me.

"I suppose I saw in Tess what the rest of the world refused to acknowledge about her," Jackie shrugged, a smile on her face that showed the private nature of their friendship.

"She's a lot smarter than the world gives her credit for," I replied and we grinned at one another. "Do you ever wonder how we, with all our diverse personalities managed to become friends and tie each other to one another?" I asked and Jackie's turned her gaze upon me, a crease developing in between her brows.

"How do you mean?"

"It's odd how, for example, you and Tess are such close friends and how someone like Abby and I could ever be friends with you two. We're so very different."

"That's the thing with friendships, they can really surprise you. What works for some, doesn't work for others. Take yourself and Oliver Wood," Jackie began and she raised her hand before I could object or say a word.

"Just hear me out. You two should be friends. You're both far too stubborn for your own good, you both love the same things and you both care what the other thinks despite how much you might disagree with me. I watched you too over the months and its there as plain as day. But the reality is that these exact same similarities also mean you two clash far too much for your own good and probably for the same reason you two aren't friends. At the end of the day it's chemistry and you either have it and it works or it doesn't. Unfortunately no-one has been able to explain it."

I paused in my rebuttal, the words caught in my throat as I thought over what Jackie had just said. A frown was marring my features at her frighteningly accurate portrayal of the relationship between Wood and I. If she had said the same thing to me only three weeks ago I wouldn't have believed her, but it had changed. I had changed and I believed Wood had too.

* * *

I knew I had to tell Cedric. I wasn't quite sure how to go about it, how he would take the news or even if I had the courage to tell him, but I knew I had to.

You're meant to tell your boyfriend if you're friends with your ex, right?

There was no way around it, I would have to bite the bullet and just fess up. Pacing the common room the next afternoon and annoying my friends also wouldn't help.

"Right, I'm doing it!" I grimly said out loud, resolved to finally go through with it.

"What's she on about?" Tess queried from where she and Abby were slouched on the sofa and watching my antics.

"Merlin if I know. I've never understood her," Abby grunted in reply, shrugging her shoulders as she watched me pace to and fro once more.

"But she's your best friend," Tess persisted, an eyebrow raised.

"You want me to try and understand crazy?" Abby snorted, peering at Tess with an incredulous look on her face.

"You're right," Tess sighed, shaking her head. "I don't think anyone understands her."

"Oh look, there she goes," Abby commented and her and Tess looked up to see me finally marching out of the Gryffindor common room.

I let the portrait door close behind me and I saw with a great relief that the Fat Lady's portrait had been reinstated. Sir Cadogan was starting to drive me a little crazy with his idiocy. What I hadn't expected to see were a couple of security trolls guarding the portrait, whacking their clubs into their palms and grunting menacingly at anyone who passed them by.

I eyed them warily, and making a wide berth around them I quickly raced down the corridor.

One thing that became glaringly obvious the closer I came to the Great Hall was how on edge everybody seemed to be. It seemed that the terror of the night before hadn't been completely eradicated yet.

As I entered the full Great Hall I spotted Cedric sitting with his friends at the Hufflepuff table and made my way over. He spotted me when one of his friends elbowed him in the ribs and I smiled as his head popped up and the relief washed over his face. He pulled himself up from the table and made his way over to me, so that we finally met at the corner of the Hufflepuff table.

Before I could even utter a word, his warm arms had enveloped me in a fierce hug as his head buried itself in my hair.

"Thank Merlin, you're okay!" Cedric uttered into my hair and I pulled back to eye him quizzically.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" I laughed at the absurdity, but the serious look Cedric was shooting at me sobered me up.

"I'm sorry, I can't joke about Sirius Black breaking into your house and nearly attacking one of your fellow housemates," Cedric spoke and I looked down sheepishly. He was right, it really wasn't something to joke about and the fact that none of us had slept well today was a testament to that.

"I was so worried about you!" Cedric uttered, letting out a sigh of relief as he held my face in his hands, staring intently into my eyes.

"I know, but I'm fine now," I said softly, placing my hands over his considerably larger ones. I smiled up at him, seeing that his grey eyes were lightening.

"Okay," Cedric spoke, leaning his head against my forehead and I revelled in his warmth and presence. He leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips and I leaned into it, enjoying it immensely. A minute later we pulled apart and I grinned stupidly at my boyfriend, feeling a lot calmer than I had been in many hours. He took my hand in his and led me to where he was sitting at the Hufflepuff table, thankfully a little away from his friends so we could have some privacy.

"So, you're all fine?" Cedric asked as we sat down on the bench and I nodded my head, pulling some toast and a plate of muffins towards me.

"We're all okay. Jackie wasn't at first, but then she was the worst affected by You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters all those years ago. Tess managed to calm her down and reassure her so she's fine now," I said, biting into a chocolate muffin and relishing it with every bite.

"Why, what happened to her?" Cedric queried, pouring himself another cup of tea.

"Her dad was murdered by Death Eaters before she was born because he married a Muggle," I said simply, putting the last piece in my mouth and chewing it thoughtfully.

"Oh wow," Cedric paused, looking up at me with concern on his face, the jug of milk still floating in mid-air.

"Yeah. Don't say anything to her. She doesn't like everyone knowing. Thinks we'll all treat her differently," I shrugged and Cedric slowly nodded his head.

"But you're okay, right?" he pressed and I smiled at him, squeezing his hand.

"I'm fine. I haven't had anything quite as traumatic as that," I said, then paused and took a deep breath. "There was something I wanted to tell you, though."

"Yeah, what?" Cedric said, not looking up from the tea he was stirring, before bringing the cup up to his lips and taking a sip.

"Wood and I kinda made peace last night," I said, too afraid to look up and see the expression on his face. Instead I focused my attention on the toast that was lying on my plate.

"Oh," was the only response I got out of Cedric.

"Yeah. We're friends again."

"When did this happen?" Cedric asked and I finally looked up at him to see his expression was unreadable, though his grey eyes had darkened somewhat.

"Last night. We just got talking and resolved the issues we had. But it's no big deal," I added, feeling absolutely horrible for telling Cedric. It felt I was cheating on him, when I had done nothing more than make peace with someone.

"Right, well, that's good I guess," Cedric shrugged his shoulders and drank some more of his tea.

"What are you thinking?" I asked him timidly, almost afraid of the answer. Cedric put down his cup and glanced over at the Gryffindor table before slowly turning his attention back to me.

"What does it matter what I think?"

"It matters to me. I'm going out with you so you really shouldn't be worried. Nothing's gonna change!" I pressed on, placing my hand on his arm and squeezing it.

"I'm not worried. I just know how this is going to end," Cedric sighed, glancing slowly down at me. There was such an air of resignation hanging around him it got me worried. It got me really worried.

"What's that meant to mean?" I asked, trying to catch his eyes, but he was looking away again.

"Never mind. I don't wanna talk about Oliver Wood right now," Cedric said and he smiled down at me. I nodded my head, feeling a little relieved. The taste of resignation was still sitting in the pit of my stomach, but I ignored it and smiled back at Cedric. He leaned down and kissed me deeply, a kiss I happily reciprocated.

* * *

With one hurdle over in telling Cedric about Wood and I, I made my way back up to the Gryffindor Tower feeling quite relieved. The first battle was over, and the only ones left to tell were the girls. While they loved me and would not break up with me if I told them, they were also less likely to hold their thoughts back. I was still quite nervous and these nerves weren't stilled when I asked to speak to them up in our dormitory away from the rest of the house.

That was a difficult feat in itself, as Abby seemed determined to hang out with Ethan and only grudgingly followed us up the spiral staircase. As we trooped into the empty dormitory, I paused at the doorway, unsure of how to broach the topic. Would they be angry with me for going back on my word from December and breaking my New Year's resolution so early into the year; would they even believe me? I was annoying myself by being so nervous, but their opinions mattered a lot. There was nothing else to do, but to spit it out as Abby so eloquently reminded me with an arched eyebrow.

"Wood and I are friends," I blurted out, my eyes flickering from girl to girl as I took in their reactions. All three were still, and their expressions ranged from wide-open mouths to frowns on their faces.

"What?" Tess was the first to reply, as she snapped her mouth shut.

"We kinda resolved our issues last night and decided to be friends," I elaborated, but it still didn't seem to be enough for Jackie was the next to respond.

"Where did this revelation come from?"

"It all started that night in the Forbidden Forest. I suppose we forgave each other that night, but it wasn't until last night that we put those issues behind us."

"All your issues?" Abby remarked, surprised.

"Every one of them," I replied simply, still leaning against the doorway. I took in their astonished faces, then closed the door behind me and walked further into the dormitory.

"I don't believe you!" Tess exclaimed, staring at me with wide-eyed disbelief.

"Are we sure Chrissie hasn't lost it since the night in the Forest?" Abby asked Tess and Jackie, before turning her gaze upon me, and eyeing me dubiously. "I mean let's face it, the chances of those two being civil to each other is about as likely as Black turning himself in."

"You're right," Tess said, nodding her head as they ignored me and started chatting amongst each other about the improbability of the situation. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"Guys! I'm being serious!" I exclaimed, astonished that my own friends couldn't believe me. "Is it seriously such a hard thing to imagine?"

"Yes!" was the resounding answer from all three that made me chuckle, though it was more from frustration than humour.

"What did you guys think was happening while I was sitting next to Wood the whole night?"

"I thought I was dreaming it," came Tess' response as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I was half asleep," was Abby's reply.

"I had the whole group fussing over me," said Jackie and I let out a sigh, shaking me head. My friends were unbelievable.

"Do I have to drag Wood up here to corroborate my story before you'll believe me?" I let out astonished at my friends.

"We'll just think you've Imperiused him," Tess remarked simply, shrugging her shoulders and I let out a sigh, plopping down on Abby's bed.

"Oh dear sweet Merlin," I said, shaking my head from side to side as a smile spread across my face. "You lot are impossible."

"So you're actually friends with Oliver?" Tess remarked as she walked up towards me and sat down on Abby's bed next to me.

"Yep."

"Like, you're not gonna try and kill each other, friends?"

"Basically."

"Like, you're gonna talk to each other and act normally around one another?"

"Tess, what other kind of friends are there?" I asked, arching an eyebrow at her.

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Jackie said, walking up towards me.

"Too right it is!" Abby declared triumphantly and my gaze shot up to her, a questioning look on my face. She was far too delighted by this prospect. "Tess, fork the money on over!" she added, holding her hand out with a gleeful look on her face.

"What?" I let out.

"Ah crap!" Tess remarked, as a wave of recognition washed across her face and she sent me a disgruntled glare. "Couldn't you hold off for another few months?"

"What the hell is going on?" I asked testily, gazing at all three girls.

"They made a bet about you and Oliver months ago," Jackie elaborated and I was pleased at least one of my friends would tell me what was going on. "Abby and Tess betted that you and Wood would become friends again before the year is out."

"Absolutely brilliant. After that fight at Christmas, I thought I'd have to pay Tess, but cheers Chrissie!" she exclaimed delighted, walking up to me and patting me on the shoulder. I just sent a suspicious glare at my best friend.

"You made a bet about me?"

"Yeah, ten galleons too!" Abby crowed with delight. "Completely forgot about it for a few months there."

Tess, still grumbling heartily under her breath about me and Wood got up and made her way to her bedside table, where she pulled out her money bag and fished out ten galleons, slamming them into Abby's open hand and sitting down again with a sulk on her face.

A thought just occurred to me and I uttered, "I want half."

"What?" came Abby's reply.

"Since the bet is about me, I want half," I said simply, a smile on my face and Abby eyed me warily. "Besides you still owe me money from the Halloween Hogsmeade weekend."

"Fine," Abby grumbled, handing over half into my outstretched palm and then slouched down against the headrest of her bed.

"That's what you get for making bets about me. Besides, you still made five galleons!" I chirped and this seemed to appease Abby for the stopped grumbling and turned her attention back to us.

"Be in for me to interrupt this very strange BFF encounter, but can we get back to the topic on hand here?" Tess remarked, waving her hands in the air. "Like, what the hell with you and Oliver? Are you two gonna get back together again? What about Cedric!" Tess seemed to be on the verge of exploding because of the amount of questions and I chuckled, a hand on her arm.

"Relax Tess!" I teased her. "It's okay! Of course Wood and I aren't getting back together. We both know that it we really don't belong together."

"Shame," Tess sighed and then looked up at me. "I love Cedric and all, but you and Oliver had such chemistry together!" I glanced over at Jackie on the other side of me and she sent me a knowing smile, which just made me sigh.

"Chemistry or not, it wasn't a very successful relationship. Heck we never even got it off the ground before it imploded on us. As for Cedric, I talked to him and he's fine about it," I replied and at the last sentence all three girls stared at me with incredulous looks on their faces.

"He's fine about it?" Abby exclaimed, not believing a word I said.

"Yes, he is. He knows he's got nothing to worry about," I responded simply, shrugging my shoulders and wondering why the girls were making such a fuss about it. "Seriously, I thought you'd be happy that the group is back together again?"

"We are, but are you sure about this? I've got a feeling it's gonna blow up in your face and then you're gonna end up in even shittier waters," Abby replied, an eyebrow raised at me.

"Relax Abby, it's not gonna blow up in my face," I assured her quietly and she kept eyeing me dubiously, but she relented and sent me a warm smile.

"It will be nice to be able to sit together in the common room and not have you two shooting glares at each other or trying to jump each other at the same time," Abby teased and I threw a pillow at my laughing best friend.

"I don't know. The concept of Chrissie and Oliver not wanting to jump each others' bones is a strange one," Tess mused and the second pillow on the bed flew her way. My friends were impossible to reason with.

* * *

_**Calliope's Guide To Hogwarts**_

_The Ties That Bind_

_Have you ever heard of the phrase, 'what doesn't kill us makes us stronger'? I always thought it was one of those daft sayings my dad would spout to me when I was younger that had as much meaning and relevance as fairy tales. _

_Well that all changed Saturday night when adversity struck this castle once more with Sirius Black breaking into the Gryffindor common room and nearly attacking a student. What adversity has taught me is that terrifying moments can make us stronger, but there's one thing my dad forgot to add onto his saying; what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, but only because of the ties that bind us to others. It's all well and good to say hardships make us stronger human beings, but we would be nothing without those people that support us through it all. _

_We might be tied to them through all manner of reasons; whether it's friendship, obligation, love, respect, or just shared interests, but they are the reason we stand upright and conquer adversity. They are the reason we continue through it all. The ties that bind are powerful enough to overcome hardships and stand the test of time, but we must nurture them to help them stay strong, for we are only as great as those around us. _

_I never before realised how important these ties are. I, who have wasted friendships and thrown aside perfectly good people for shallow reasons never realised that while my friendships with certain people might have been over, those ties still bound us together. That's the thing with them though; they are not emotional like we are. Ties don't decide to stop existing because you fell out, and the truly great ones will still tug you out of danger when the time is needed. We might complain from time to time about feeling bound to people, but those strings probably saved my life and will continue to look out for me. I can't complain about them any longer. _

_One thing I never realised either, is that these ties have a habit of changing during times of adversity. They can grow stronger or weaker or just transform into something completely new. Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, these ties that bind us to those around us can change into something more beautiful than ever seen before. While ties might not have emotions or expectations beyond the initial connection, there is a beauty to how they bind us to our fellow man. They help us to resolve issues and disputes, because they simply remind us of what bound us together in the first place. Sometimes it's so much easier to push aside the emotions that cloud our judgement and see things for how they truly are._

_Yes, maybe my dad was on to something with his saying, 'what doesn't kill us makes us stronger', but I wonder if he ever considered that what makes us stronger are the ties all around us, like puppet strings holding us upright and making us move forward. It might have bothered me before how I was being moved across a board, seemingly without any free will, but that's not the case at all. This horrifying night and the preceding weeks have taught me that I never lost my free will at all. I have gained ties that will hold me upright no matter what happens and guide me through the dark forest towards the light._

_These ties aren't restricting at all. Oh yes, I wholly underestimated these ties and I am infinitely glad for it._

_Until then,_

_Calliope, 1994_

* * *

The next time Wood and I bumped into each other again was Monday afternoon. Classes had finished, we were in our school uniforms and I feared that the barriers would be up once more.

"Margate," Wood said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as he so often did when he was unsure about something.

"Wood," I replied awkwardly, fidgeting with the strap of my school bag. It seemed we both didn't know how to act around one another again.

"How have you been?" he inquired, dropping his hands to his sides and fixing his full attention on me.

"I've been good. How about you?"

"Same," was his short reply and he tugged on the ends of his jumper for lack of anything else to do.

"So what do you think of our History of Magic homework. That was a bit unfair of Binns to give us that much to do!"

"I know!" I cried with gusto, relieved to have a topic to talk about. "Doesn't he know that we have N.E.W.T.s coming up?"

"Exactly, though I didn't take you for the kind to be stressing about your N.E.W.T.s already," Wood said, his mouth forming into a smile.

"Yeah, but Binns doesn't know that," I remarked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It was completely unfair of him. I got no homework done this weekend and now I have this too!"

"Yeah I know," Wood said and we drifted into silence. I suddenly realised that we were just standing in the middle of the sixth floor corridor.

"You going down to the Great Hall?" I inquired and Wood nodded his head. We slowly made our way down towards the Entrance Hall, our steps falling into sync next to one another. We said nothing while we waited for the moving staircase to make its way over to us and as we descended the steps the uncomfortable silence became too much. I had to say something.

"So, is this what our friendship is gonna be like, awkward silences while we try to figure out what to say to the other?" I asked him, turning my head to the side to view the expression on his face.

Wood shrugged and then glanced at me. "I suppose it's gonna take some getting used to, trying to figure out what the boundaries of our friendship is."

"What do you mean?" I asked him, confused as to what he could be alluding to.

"Well, for example, is it a come-on if I say that I find you really attractive?" Wood queried, a mischievous look on his face.

"Wood!" I said, scandalised, eyes wide as I took in his amused face. "You can't say things like that!"

"So? Doesn't mean I still can't think you're hot. Come on, Margate, I'm a bloke!"

"Still!" I cried out, flabbergasted.

"Come on Margate, why are you freaking out? I was trying to get into your pants the whole time. I wouldn't have done it, if I didn't think you were hot!" Wood laughed, laughing even more when he saw my shocked face. He clapped me on the shoulder and just grinned at me, leaving me without a thing to say.

"You can't say that!" I finally managed to respond, growing very red in the face. "I'm taken and it would be inappropriate considering I have a boyfriend."

"Stop being so uptight, Margate," Wood responded easily, that insufferable grin still on his face. "I wasn't trying to come on to you. I was just using it as an example."

"Well… but still!" I spluttered, to which Wood chuckled some more and only made me more embarrassed.

"You're growing very red in the face there, Margate," Wood teased and then added slyly, "It isn't because you think I'm hot too, is it?"

That one caught me by surprise and I didn't know what to say in response, but unfortunately Wood caught on to my hesitation and the grin turned into an ear-splitting one.

"Ah so you do! I knew it wasn't just my Quidditch skills you were after. So tell me, Margate, is it my ass that has you lusting after me? Or my smile, or is it my skills in general?" Wood asked, wagging his eyebrows at me with a very lascivious grin on his face.

"Wood!" I shrieked, slapping his arm at his words. "You're impossible!"

"Come on Margate, you can tell me. I won't tell a soul," Wood carried on, nudging me with his elbow and that grin not leaving his face. I couldn't decide whether I should be embarrassed or laugh along with him.

"If you must know," I responded, drawing on some courage and looking him square in the eyes. "There was a rakishness about you that I did like months ago, but that giant head of yours ruined the pleasing picture," I sniffed and watched the grin slip from his face. I chuckled to myself, quite pleased that I managed to put Wood back in his place.

"Oh you wound me, Margate!" Wood declared dramatically, clutching his chest where his heart sat and I just snorted at him, rolling my eyes.

"You'll get over it, Wood and find some new girl to harass constantly," I smirked, but instead of my teasing hitting the mark, Wood's eyes started glinting and he threw an arm around my shoulders as he drew me in closer. I had to watch where we I was going, since Wood's quick stride kept throwing me off balance on the staircase.

"Ah, but my dear Margate. None of them will be as special as you and that lovely haystack of a hairstyle," Wood uttered, threatening to send us both falling down the marble staircase with his uneven strides.

"Oi Wood!" I cried out, mock-offended as I elbowed him in the ribs, which caused him to drop the arm that had been slung around my shoulders. "Leave my hair out it. At least I don't sound like I'm trying to sneeze when I speak!"

"Oi Missy," Wood replied affronted, which he swiftly followed with an elbow into my side. ""Leave the Scottish accent out of it. It's sexy!"

"Take out a few of those 'h's and maybe then we'll talk," I teased, catching his eye and we grinned at each other, before pausing at the door to the Entrance Hall. Wood pulled the massive oak doors open and we grinned once more at each other before we split up, Wood heading towards the Gryffindor table and I made my way over to where Cedric sat at the other side of the hall.

* * *

It's intense what happens to you sometimes. Take Wood and I for example; we were put in a high stress and dangerous environment and it changed us. You start to form a bond with the other person, no matter how hard you try not to. That bond is an unbreakable, indestructible bond born out of situations you often don't have any control over. But that's life. You learn to roll with it and go along with all the twists and turns it takes you on. I will admit this though; it's intimate being tied together like that. Whether you like it or not, whether you like them or not you become family.

So while certain bonds like those I have to my friends or to Cedric are welcomed; I have to accept that other bonds don't always come as easy as that. Maybe I should just stop pulling against the strings and accept what is happening.

Wood and I are friends, and by Merlin how did we ever let those ties bind us together?

* * *

**A/N's: So what do you guys think of this chapter? I have been looking forward to this one for months, if not years! This idea has been on my mind since I first conceived the story over three years ago and I'm so glad to have reached this turning point. **

**So Chrissie and Wood are friends. What are your thoughts on it and where do you think their friendship will take them? Tell me your favourite moments, quotes and your thoughts. I love hearing them all!**

**As for the next chapter. Boy you're gonna LOVE it! It's gonna be all about how Chrissie and Wood will have the difficult task of wading through their past and figuring out the boundaries of their friendship. Expect a lot of humorous anecdotes, a bit of tension and tonnes of Chrissie and Wood interactions. **

**It's gonna be a fun chapter to write, so hopefully I'll be able to churn it out quicker. **

**As always, I love your reviews, so please keep them coming.**

**Until next time,**

**Agrolass :-)**


	13. The Bounds of Friendship

_Chapter 13; The Bounds of Friendship_

"I can't believe you and Oliver are friends now, it's so strange!" Tess quipped, a hairbrush in her right hand.

I sighed, looking at my friend sitting across from me on the big sheepskin rug in the middle of our dormitory on a Tuesday afternoon. The school was still a little startled by what had happened over the weekend, but was well on the way to returning to normalcy at a very shocking speed. Then again life did move at a hundred miles an hour at this school. The girls and I had taken to spending a lot more time in the Gryffindor Tower since we had to be accompanied everywhere by teachers and it was a real buzz-kill especially when you wanted to talk about something private.

"I know what you mean Tess. I look over and not only are they sitting together, they're joking and laughing. This is gonna take some getting used to," Abby remarked, equally confounded and both girls turned their gazes upon me as if I would have some all-knowing answer.

"I did tell you guys on Sunday. I don't know why you're still so confused about it," I shrugged, pulling another bottle of nail varnish towards me and examining the colour in the candlelight. "What do you guys think of this azure colour?" I asked, holding it up for the girls to see. Tess and Jackie shook their heads while Abby pulled a disgusted face.

"Go for the dark green," she commented, fixing me with an intense gaze as she added, "Aren't you worried about the chemistry between you and Oliver flaring up again?"

"Chemistry?" I snorted, raising an eyebrow at my best friend, before dropping my gaze down to the nails I was painting. "Wood and I haven't been together in months; why would you think that there's still chemistry there?"

"Because it's the two of you and I still can't wrap my head around the fact that you guys have managed to become friends with that hanging over your heads," Abby contemplated and Tess nodded her head sagely. She then turned her attention away from me, her curly chestnut hair bouncing as she turned her head and stared off into the distance.

"It can't last," she noted to everyone and no one in particular.

Tess shrugged her shoulders, thinking it through before she replied. "It could."

Abby then turned her attention to Jackie and asked, "Come on Jackie, you agree with me. It can't last!"

"The chances of it working are very slim. It's most likely going to blow up in their faces though," Jackie said, looking up from her novel.

"Okay what can't last and what's going up to blow up in whose faces?" I inquired, looking up from my task, a very confused expression on my face.

"You and Oliver being friends," Abby remarked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What?" I said, totally confounded, the brush with dripping nail varnish hanging in the air completely forgotten about.

"It's not gonna last. Chances are one or both of you are going to send out mixed messages and it'll all blow up in your face."

"How so?" I replied, a little annoyed that the girls had so little faith in Wood and I.

"It's a well-known fact that men and women can't be friends without sex getting in the way at some point," Abby explained, taking the nail varnish of me and finishing off my left hand that I was having trouble with.

"I've never heard of this. Are you sure you're not making this up?" I said eyebrows furrowed as I glanced at my friend in front of me.

"Yes Chrissie. Merlin where have you been?" she sighed, shaking her head at me. "Care to explain it to her, Jackie?"

My gaze shifted to the girl with the auburn hair, her pale skin glinting in the candlelight.

"Have you ever seen a Muggle movie called 'When Harry Met Sally', Chrissie?" she asked me.

"No," I replied, shaking my head.

"It's a really good movie – you should watch it. But the point I'm trying to make is that it teaches us that men and women can't be friends with one another without one or both of them getting attracted to the other. We can't be around the opposite sex all the time without feelings and desires forming and that's what inevitably ruins the friendship," Jackie explained and I just gazed perplexed at her, not knowing what to make of it.

"But that makes no sense. What about all my male friends? What about the boys?" I reasoned, throwing my hands into the air for added emphasis. Abby glared at me, the nail varnish brush still in her hand and she grabbed my left hand yanking it towards her again.

"We don't hang out with the boys that often anyway and they spend more time with each other than with us, and as for Aiden we all know how that ended," Jackie replied, putting down her novel.

"I'm still friends with Aiden," I rebutted, refusing to believe their theory.

"Chrissie, you barely hang out with Aiden after you found out he fancied you for ages. Why do you think that is?" Abby declared, sending me an exasperated look.

"I dunno. So does that mean my friendship with Nathan and Wood are doomed too?"

"You don't hang out with Nathan too much, but I suspect he might like you a bit anyway. As for Wood, I hate to break it to you, but it'll probably happen," Abby said, shrugging her shoulders. She closed the lid on the nail varnish bottle and inspected her work.

"What do you think, Tess?" I asked the blonde girl, realising that she hadn't contributed much to the conversation.

"I don't know. It would sound about right, but I'm not sure," came her response, as she smiled apologetically at me. "You and Wood are really close for two people who've only decided to be friends a few days ago. It is a bit odd."

"Well that sucks!" I sighed, annoyed at what the girls were telling me. "I still don't believe you, though."

* * *

By Wednesday afternoon I was slowly trudging my way towards the library on the third floor for another study session with Karine. Truth be told, it was the last thing I wanted to do at that moment; finding school work increasingly tedious to do and much preferring to hang out with the gang in the common room and watch Aiden and Ethan playing poker, but Karine had cornered me on Monday morning after the Sirius Black incident and insisted we catch up, sooner rather than later. Then again, maybe I should put more thought into my homework, as I was failing miserably in Ancient Runes and I could do with Karine's help.

I spotted the Indian girl perched on our usual table next to a large window, her sleek black hair hanging around her like a curtain, before it bopped up at the sound of my footsteps and her startling green eyes widened at my approach. She sent me a winning smile and I suddenly was starkly reminded of how beautiful she was, not having hung out with her for a couple of weeks.

"Hi Chrissie," she chimed happily, pushing some books over to her side of the table as I began unloading my book bag.

"Hey Karine," I replied easily, plopping down on the seat next to her and only then smiling up at her. "How was your weekend?"

"Oh who gives a flying drat about my weekend!" she dismissed the comment, turning her body to face me completely. "You have to tell me all about Black breaking into your common room Saturday night! We heard something was wrong with Flitwick came in at three in the morning to wake up Penelope and pull her out of the Tower for Head Girl duties, but no-one would tell us what was going on and it's infuriating!" The excitement with which Karine was speaking took me aback for a moment and I stared at her dumbly for a few seconds wondering whether she and I were talking of the same topic.

Did she not understand the danger and the terror we all felt that night? Was it just a piece of gossip to her?

"You have to tell me everything. What did everybody say and do? Did somebody cry? I heard quite a few people were crying. And what about Oliver, how did he react? Come on now, you're my friend you have to tell me!"

I opened and closed my mouth for a few seconds, unsure how to react or even what to say to the girl who was sitting across from me so excited by the thought of fresh gossip it made me feel very uneasy.

Then again she wasn't there, so she couldn't have felt the terror of knowing that a mass murderer had been so close to you and so close to killing another student. It seemed she was able to shake off the nightmarish couple of weeks we had a lot easier than I ever could. It still did not sit well with me, and it was at that moment that the conversation between Wood and I popped back into my head.

Had he been right about my habit of over-sharing with people that maybe shouldn't always know about the activities of my friends?

I paused as I glanced critically at Karine and realised something. Karine and I were friends, but she was by no means one of my close friends. So why had I always been so keen to share private pieces of information with her so readily? At what point had we crossed that boundary, and more importantly had she ever done the same for me? I could remember nothing more private than her annoyance at her mother or her talking about her kittens back at home. She never shared anything intimate about her friends to me, yet I always did with her.

Maybe Wood had been right all along. I didn't know why it struck me now, but somehow being friends with him again made it more important for me to keep those private things private.

I had not missed how she had asked about him in her tirade, but I could not bring myself to tell her the truth. Being friends with Wood had not only changed my dynamic with him, it had changed my dynamic with Karine too.

"Come on Chrissie, don't keep me hanging in suspense here!" Karine cried out impatiently and I turned my gaze back to her and those startling green eyes that were as green as Wood's, yet did not hold the lustre his did.

"There's not much to tell Karine," I began nonchalantly, shrugging my shoulders in an attempt to convince her of my words. "We all stayed up in the common room that night as no-one could sleep. To be honest I didn't really pay much attention to anyone else, as I was so tired. You know about as much as I do."

"Oh, that's disappointing," Karine, remarked, deflating instantly as she glanced back at her books.

"Sorry. You know how it is; reality's not half as interesting as someone's fantasy," I shrugged and Karine nodded her head.

"Ah well, thought I'd try anyway," she quipped, then turned her gaze back upon me a large smile on her face. "Did you hear about the massive fight between Professor McGonagall and Trelawney last week? Apparently McGonagall called Trelawney a 'drunken old fool'!"

I laughed as I opened my Runes book and grinned back at Karine. "Why doesn't that surprise me in the slightest? Did you ever do Divination with her?"

With that we launched into a long and amusing conversation about the ineptitude of one Sybil Trelawney, the Sirius Black and Karine's nosiness all but completely forgotten about.

* * *

I know I should be thankful that teachers had upped the patrols around the castle at night after Black broke into the Gryffindor common room, but honestly at this particular moment on the Friday evening I was annoyed by it. The reason was very simple and had everything to do with boredom.

Usually we'd have a 7C party tonight, but after the near attack and the amount of Professors patrolling the corridors the committee had decided against them for a while, at least until things quietened down again.

That's at least what Abby told me, and while I would usually agree with her, especially after how terrifying that night had been, as I said earlier; I was really bored.

As a result, I was spending my Friday nights sitting on the sofa in the common room, not even able to go visit Cedric and the only person who seemed to be willing to put up with my dour mood was Aiden.

I didn't mind too much as I hadn't gotten a chance to hang out with him in a while, but he would take my grumblings with a few of his own about my mood.

"God's sake Chrissie, get over it," Aiden sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his long fingers as he closed his eyes and threw his head back. He slowly opened his lids again and stared at me tiredly.

"Can we not talk about something else?" he queried and I sighed, relenting to the change in topic.

"Well I was wondering about something the girls said to me," I said, pulling my knee up and hugging to my body. "They said that blokes and girls can't be friends without sex getting in the way. Frankly I don't believe them, but Abby insisted that it was true. But then again, we're proof that you can be friends."

"I'm with Abby on this one," Aiden replied simply and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"How so?" I frowned, unclasping my hands from around my knee and sitting up straight.

"Have you completely forgotten about the fact that I fancied you for ages?" Aiden queried, now raising an eyebrow at me too.

"Yeah, but we got over that and we're still friends!" I insisted and Aiden sighed, shaking his head at me.

"I don't think you get the concept behind it Chrissie. Your memory also seems to be pretty poor because I remember you not talking to me for a couple of weeks after you found out."

"So what, we're just proving Abby right?" I asked a frown marring my features and Aiden nodded his head to my chagrin.

"Yeah, pretty much!" he laughed and smiled at me, before patting my hand. "Ah come on Chrissie it's not that bad. As you said we're still friends and that's what counts. We're just not the same kind of friends, but people change all the time."

"I suppose," I relented, the frown disappearing to be replaced by a more solemn look.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go hang out with Alison," Aiden said, looking past me and I followed his gaze as the short brunette sixth year made her way down the spiral staircase leading to her dormitory and when she spotted Aiden she smiled shyly at him. The two had started seeing each other a few weeks ago and our entire gang unanimously agreed that she was a sweet girl, if a little shy. He pulled himself up from the sofa and made his way towards her as I watched him go with a sigh.

Aiden was right about one thing; our friendship hadn't been the same since I found out he fancied me. Maybe there was some truth to what Abby had been saying to me.

* * *

"Mind if I sit next to you?" a croaky and decidedly sleepy voice pulled me out of my daze on the Monday morning. I pulled my head up to see a dishevelled Wood standing next to me, his tie askew, jumper crumpled and bag slung carelessly over his shoulder. I shook my head mutely and lay my head back on my arms again in the vain attempt to catch a few more minutes of sleep. I heard him shuffle into the seat and felt the thud of his heavy bag dropping to the floor, before Wood's arms nudged my elbows out of the way as he dropped his head on the table too. I turned my head to gaze blearily at him and saw that he had closed his eyes.

"You tired too?" I mumbled and Wood nodded his head, making some sort of a grunting noise I couldn't understand.

"Bloody morning classes!" Wood grumbled into his arms, voice very muffled from how he was slouched on the chair.

"You're telling me," I sighed yawning. "I hate classes first thing in the morning. Cuts into my sleeping time, but why are you complaining about it? From what the team tells me, it's usually your idea to have seven a.m. training practices." I raised a tired eyebrow at him and even though he still had his head hidden in his arms, I could feel his rumbling laughter from sitting next to him.

"Today's a day off, Margate. If you're such a Quidditch fan you should know that," Wood smirked, his head popping up as his tired eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Laugh all you want, Wood," I sniffed, holding my head up high. Wood was about to retort when Professor Lupin walked into the classroom and he quickly closed his mouth as the class' attention turned onto the easy-going teacher.

Fifteen minutes into the double class, and I was bored as hell of writing up on the effects of rogue curses. Wood next to me was scribbling away furiously, his ochre hair falling into his eyes, body crouched forwards. I leaned my head to the side to see what he could be writing so furiously and I sighed when I saw that it was notes from the book spread out in front of him.

I dropped my hand into my palm and stared off into space, contemplating this new friendship with Wood and I. A sneaky side-glance told me he was still focused on his schoolwork and I was free to drift into my own world.

It was strange to suddenly be friends with someone you spent so many months being angry at, and in a way it was very cathartic to let go of all those negative feelings, but it was still weird. I wondered if we would ever be okay enough for that awkwardness to disappear.

Then a thought struck me; was I even doing the right thing? Heck, I was sitting next to my ex-boyfriend in class, the exact same ex that had treated me so badly months ago. Was I crazy or was I just intent on wrecking my relationship with Cedric? Surely every manual on relationships says that this is a monumentally bad idea, yet why had I agreed to it?

I glanced over to where Wood was sitting next to me, my quill tapping lightly on the hard wooden desk and I realised what the answer was. I didn't want to fight anymore. It was exhausting fighting with Wood, and for what? Because he dumped me unfairly back in October? Surely, I was a bigger person than that. Everyone always told me what a good guy he is, and to be honest I wanted to see that too. Isn't that the nature of forgiveness, to move on see the good in others despite the crappy things they have done?

Wood was a big part of my life here at Hogwarts and I didn't want to end my time here with silly feuds over bruised egos. He's in my group of friends and I didn't want to fight it anymore.

I continued drumming my quill on the table deep in thought, when Wood's large hand covered mine and he sent me an exasperated glance.

"Enough of the tapping, Margate," he sighed and I smiled sheepishly at him, stilling my quill as he pulled his hand away.

Lupin had caught me staring off into space, and with one of those disapproving glances he gives that make you feel so guilty, I picked up my quill again and continued my assignment. The silence of the classroom was only punctuated by the scratching of quills on scrolls of parchment and the shuffling feet of Professor Lupin walking up and down the classroom.

...

I reached for the inkwell sitting in the middle of the desk and went to pull it towards me, eyes not leaving the page when I realised that someone else had beaten me to it. My eyes glanced up and saw that my hand was covering Wood's, who had reached for my bottle of ink at the same time.

"Sorry," he muttered out awkwardly, pulling his hand back. I nodded my head and dipped my quill into the inkwell, before glancing up at Wood again.

"You can use it now," I replied simply, not quite sure what else to say to him.

"Okay," came his one word reply and I turned my attention back to the chapter I had been taking notes from. Right now schoolwork seemed preferable to the awkward silence between us, and trying to figure out what to say.

It seemed the only time Wood and I could be at ease with each other was when we were teasing each other, and now we were back to not knowing how to react around one another. Absolutely spiffing great!

"Psst, Margate," Wood whispered, nudging me slightly in the side as he tried to get my attention. He had it fully, but as I was in the middle of writing a rather excellent paragraph on the after-effects of the Cruciatus Curse, I wasn't in the mood to respond just yet.

"Margate!" Wood pressed on, seemingly not taking the hint that I was busy. Merlin that boy could be persistent when he wanted to be.

"Margate!" Wood hissed, his voice growing by a few decibels and I finally pulled my eyes up and stared at him, annoyed.

"What?" I declared swiftly, my quill still hanging in mid air.

"Were you ignoring me?" he asked, completely diverting my question, a frown marring his features as he cocked his head to the side.

"No I was busy writing up this bloody assignment, as you should be too, now what is it?" I pressed on, impatient for him to get to the point.

"You in for a game of cards tonight? Tess and Jackie said they were going to show us how to play a Muggle game called poker and I need someone to de-mystify the Muggle references for me," Wood replied, pouting as he jutted out his lower lip that made him look quite adorable. I couldn't stay annoyed at him when he kept looking at me like that.

"Sorry Wood, got plans with Cedric tonight," I said, shrugging my shoulders. You'll just have to make do with Jackie explaining all the references to you." I smirked at Wood next to me and he just nodded his head in return, expression pensive.

"Christina and Oliver," Lupin asked, appearing next to us with a stern expression on his face as he peered down at us. "Can we please return our attention to the work at hand and not at each others' personal lives?" He raised his eyebrow and I instantly felt guilty for continually flouting the rules of everyone's favourite Professor.

"Yes Sir," we both chorused meekly and I saw out of the corner of my eye that the Slytherins on the other side of the room were snickering away to themselves. Lupin nodded his head and went over to help Percy, who as usual had his hand raised in the air, the do-gooding tosser.

"Look at Percy, being the goody-two-shoes Head Boy," I commented at Wood, though he was eyeing me with a pensive faraway expression on his face.

"Am I meant to call you Christina from now on?" he queried, a perturbed look on his face.

"What?" I asked, wondering what the hell that boy was talking about now.

"I just remembered that your name is Christina. Since you and I are mates now, does that mean I've to call you that?" Wood elaborated, the expression on his face stating that he couldn't quite wrap his head around the concept.

"Merlin's beard, no!" I replied quickly, alarmed at the prospect. "No-one calls me Christina apart from the Professors and my mum when she's angry at me."

"So, do I call you Chrissie then?"

"It sounds weird coming from you," I shrugged, now frowning myself.

"Cheers!" came the insulted reply from Wood.

"You know what I mean. It would be weird if I just started calling you Oliver now after all those months of Wood. In fact as far as I'm concerned you don't have a first name, like Madonna or Prince, although that's not actually his name," I rambled on, getting completely off-topic. "Anyway, you know what I mean!"

"No," Wood chuckled, shaking his head. "Who's Madonna and why would anyone call themselves Prince?"

"Never mind," I muttered. "The point remains though; just because we're friends now doesn't mean we're gonna have to go and give each other nicknames or something. As far as I'm concerned you're Wood and I'm Margate and if we call each other by our first names then it should happen naturally and not because we've decided we're friends now."

"You're thinking way too much into this, Margate," Wood smirked, shaking his head at me.

"Well you're the one that raised the topic, so who's the dunderhead now?" I retorted, sending him a patronising glance.

"Margate, you're so immature!" Wood snorted, chuckling away and an irate Professor Lupin swiftly silenced us. Not wanting detention, we both kept our mouths shut for the last half hour and done our work.

* * *

"Are you my friend?" I burst out and Cedric frowned, his attention still on the lakeshore next to us.

"What?" he asked perplexed and I replied easily.

"Are you my friend?"

"Chrissie," Cedric chuckled, turning his attention on me as he squeezed my hand. "I'm going out with you, of course I am!" His attention then went back to the murky surface of the great lake that we had been walking along for the last forty minutes on that chilly late February afternoon. The setting sun was already disappearing behind the highest mountains in the distance and I guessed that we would have no more than another half hour of light.

"Yeah, but just because we're going out doesn't necessarily mean we're friends. The two don't always go hand in hand," I elaborated, turning my attention back to my boyfriend and Cedric paused, pulling me gently to a stop.

"True. You don't have to be friends with the person you're going out, just like you don't go out with every person you're friends with," Cedric reasoned in a bout of intelligence, which sometimes made me wonder if he wouldn't have fit in better in Ravenclaw.

"Why are you asking me this?" he went on and I shrugged my shoulders as I gazed up at his grey eyes.

"I was just wondering about something. It's silly anyway," I dismissed it and Cedric pulled me towards him and twirled me about on the spot in a way that always made me smile. He was good like that. He drew me close and I grinned up at my boyfriend, reveling in his comforting presence and that undeniably masculine smell he always exuded.

"You never cease to amaze me Chrissie," Cedric spoke softly, his lips hovering tantalisingly close to my own and I smiled into his embrace. His arms wrapped themselves around my waist as his head rested against my own.

We stayed like that for a few minutes in the freezing cold, the wind beating at my hair and finding its way through my clothes, but I knew I shouldn't move, even if the only thing I wanted to do was head back inside and find the nearest fireplace to warm me up.

"Merlin knows what goes on that mind of yours," he chuckled, peering down at me and I saw that his slate grey eyes were sparkling with mirth.

"What's that meant to mean?" I pouted up at him, and his fingers traced my chin before he captured my lips in a soft kiss.

"Only that you're strange, and special and you've completely ensnared me," Cedric rumbled on, his voice resonating through me deeply. I smiled up at my boyfriend, not quite sure what to say. My smile would have to be enough.

* * *

"Alright, what the fuck was this batty old banshee on about when she asked us to 'map out our futures using the Divine arts'?" Ethan declared grumpily as he tossed another Divination book into the middle of the table, where a pile of our textbooks had developed over the last hour.

"You're on your own on that one, mate," Wood chuckled, dotting a few more I's on his parchment before he peered up at his best friend. "I told that batty old banshee where to shove it years ago, as you should have too."

"Again, she's an easy marker and if you just nod at whatever trollop is coming out of her mouth once in a while you're pretty much guaranteed O's," Ethan rebutted, still frowning at his essay title.

"Those easy O's wouldn't have anything to do with you constantly charming her in class, would it?" Tess teased, peering up from her own Divination homework. "Besides, this is an easy assignment. Just use that essay on tea leaves we done last year; she won't remember it."

"I can't believe you two are still taking her class," Abby scoffed, shaking her head at our friends. "Hasn't she been suspended yet for being constantly drunk?"

"Nah, it's eased off a bit since last year. She actually seems lucid from time to time," Ethan spoke cheerily, rooting through his old pile of homework assignment, until he let out a whoop and pulled out his old Divination assignment.

"Say Chrissie," Jackie began, pausing in her reading as she glanced at her wristwatch. "Weren't you meant to meet Karine for a study session in the library half an hour ago?"

"Oh I cancelled it," I replied, putting down the heavy History of Magic book I had been scouring through for notes. "I wanted to do my homework with you guys instead," I added, shrugging my shoulders as I picked up the heavy tome once more and sighed as I began reading.

"You not friends with her anymore?" Abby asked bluntly and I frowned as I dropped the book on the table once more and turned my attention on my best friend next to me.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You not talking to the girl anymore?" Abby pressed on, equally forgetting her History of Magic essay that we had both been doing.

"No, I just didn't want to hang out with her tonight," I replied. "What's the big deal with that?"

"You tell me," Abby answered easily, her chocolate eyes boring into my own. "You always hang out with her at least twice a week and suddenly you're not. Seems a bit strange to me."

"Abbs, everything seems strange to you," I chuckled, dodging Abby's probing questions.

I pulled my gaze away from the curly haired girl next to me and my eyes caught Wood's across the table. There was a slight frown marring his features and his quill was gently resting against his lips as he scrutinised my face. Then he slowly nodded his head at me, the gesture almost too infinitesimal to be seen by the others, but I knew and I understood. His face broke out into a smile that crinkled up the corners of his eyes and I knew I didn't have to say another word on the topic.

Abby would not understand; she was too blunt to comprehend the subtle changes that had overcome my friendship with Karine and the ripple effects it had caused on my friendship with Wood.

But he had understood the choice I had made; I had chosen Wood and not Karine. If battle lines were to be drawn, I knew exactly what side I stood on.

We were caught in each other's eyes and the moment that had enveloped around us, when Abby's annoyed voice broke me out of the spell.

"Oi, attention on the homework please. I don't wanna do this either!" she spoke grumpily and I sighed, pulling my gaze away from Wood and turning them back to Abby, who was jabbing at her parchment with her quill. I sighed and pulled the book towards us, as I showed her what paragraph to copy for her essay, my mind drifting off once more.

A wave of awkwardness washed over me once more, feeling like I was drifting in uncharted waters with no clue where to go next or what to do. I had made my choice and as a result I was feeling so much more unsure about it. The only thing I could hope for was for time to clarify our situation. I could hear Wood's rumbling laughter and I smiled to myself, knowing that while I didn't quite understand our new situation, I had nevertheless made the right choice.

* * *

One evening later and it was finally the weekend. The lack of a proper social life because the 7C parties were still suspended left most of the seventh years loving and dreading the weekend in equal measures. While it meant a respite from classes and a heavy workload, it also meant that there was nothing to look forward to once classes were dismissed on a Friday afternoon.

We had to make our own fun once again, and it was to be found in the group's new obsession – a game of poker.

Annoyingly for the rest of us, one member of the group had decided to hide themselves in the Quidditch lockers and go over plays for the next Gryffindor match and we would be damned if we were going to let Wood's obsession interfere with our own. Ethan, Abby and I were tasked with dragging his sorry Scottish ass back up to the Gryffindor common room, which was exactly what we done at seven p.m. on that particular Friday evening.

"Okay mate, this is getting ridiculous!" Ethan cried out exasperated, one hand on the doorframe as he looked into the room to see Wood sitting at his desk in his office, parchment sheets and plays scattered on the table. "There isn't another Gryffindor match until April! Come on now, man, we wanna play poker!"

"Huh?" Wood replied, glancing up at us and frowning when he saw that Abby and I were standing next to Ethan in the doorway, both wearing smirks on our faces.

"Time to go Oliver!" Ethan commanded and Wood sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he let out a sigh.

"Ethan, I told you I had strategies to devise for the Gryffindor team since Hufflepuff went and changed their game-play halfway through the season," Wood replied tiredly, sending me a pointed look as if the whole thing had been my fault.

"Wood, you're not actually gonna put that one on me because I'm going out with Cedric," I laughed at him and Wood only frowned more. "Besides, you don't even know if Hufflepuff are gonna be in the final."

"But we still have to prepare for it, in case they are," came Wood's quick rebuttal and I sighed, shaking my head.

"That's all fine and dandy, but I wanna win some Galleons and you're stopping me from doing that. Now enough of this obsession and let's go play some poker!" Ethan insisted and Wood sighed, dropping his quill back into the ink well as he stretched out his arms.

"Fine, fine," Wood said wearily, a ghost of a smile tracing his features. "I'm not getting anywhere anyway. Maybe a distraction will help me focus later on."

"Brilliant!" Ethan said happily, clapping his hands together as Wood stood up and began arranging up his sheets. "This is perfect as my Dad refused to send me more Galleons until Easter and I'm almost out of Honeydukes chocolate," Ethan spoke jubilantly, rubbing his hands together with glee. Abby chuckled along and fell into stride with him as they began walking out of the Gryffindor lockers and back up towards the castle.

I walked into his office and made my way to the wall next to his desk, examining the various player strategies he had pinned on the wall and the few old photos of previous Gryffindor teams in worn wooden frames.

A Gryffindor team from the mid eighties beamed back at me and I chuckled at their wild hair and geeky glasses two of the team members were sporting.

"Merlin, they look stupid with that hair," I chuckled and Wood came over, peering at the photo over my shoulder.

"They do," he smiled then pointed at a figure in the centre, tall and gangly with flaming red hair.

"That's Charlie Weasley and he gave me my first shot at Quidditch," Wood spoke and I peered closer at the fading photograph, taking in the elder Weasley's features.

"He looks different; I wouldn't have recognised him," I said, frowning at the picture. "How old were you when you joined the Gryffindor team?"

"Second year," Wood replied wistfully and I turned my head around to gaze at him.

"Really, that early?" I remarked surprised, then chuckled and added. "It really shouldn't surprise me, though. You are obsessed with the sport!"

"Either way, I was so happy when Charlie allowed me on the team. He was a great guy, very fair. Definitely the type of Captain I want to be, and he had no problem winning the Quidditch Cup," Wood spoke thoughtfully, his forehead creased.

"Look you'll win it this year, Wood!" I intoned and Wood looked down at me, a sceptical look on his face. "I have faith in you," I added and his expression became inscrutable before he pulled his head away and looked at the photograph once more.

"It's my last chance either way," he said heavily then pulled away and walked back to the table. I turned around and watched Wood gather up his cloak and Gryffindor scarf, a troubled expression on my face. I didn't like seeing Wood doubt himself, it always made me worry, as he was the surest person I had ever met.

"Come on, let's head up to the castle before Ethan comes storming down here again and blaming me for keeping him away from his winnings," Wood said and I smiled at him as we made our way out of the office in unison. I leaned against the corridor wall as Wood locked up his office with a flourish of his wand and we made our way out of the Gryffindor locker rooms, our steps falling into sync.

"So why exactly aren't you hanging out with Karine anymore?" Wood queried and I looked up at the boy walking next to me, not sure how to answer that question.

"Well," I replied, formulating the answer in my mind as I spoke tactfully. "Karine and I had been spending a lot of time around the other and I think it's best for our friendship that we take a bit of time apart."

"Come on Margate, tell me the truth not some shite you'd say to the rest of the gang," Wood spoke bluntly, though there was a smile gracing his features.

"That is the truth; I just need some time away from her, that's all," I shrugged and Wood fell silent once more. We made our way out of the lockers and bracing ourselves against the fierce wind, we wrapped our cloaks tighter around us and started trudging towards the castle.

"You're not keeping away from Karine because of me, are you?" Wood teased and it took me a moment to register what he had just said because of the howling wind.

"What?" I yelled back at him, completely perplexed.

"You doing this because you've a soft spot for me?" Wood went on and I shrewdly looked at him, before I realised that he was trying to goad me. That made me smile and I said nothing more until we made it to the courtyard and we were out of the wind.

"To be honest, I'm finding Karine a little nosy right now," I uttered out and Wood laughed, clapping his hands together.

"I knew it!" he said jubilantly, grinning from ear to ear. He then brought his head real close to mine and wiggled his eyebrows as he uttered, "Told you so!"

"Oh you're such a child!" I replied shoving him away and we began walking into the castle once more. Wood stayed silent on the topic and I was glad, as it was a delicate subject at the best of times.

We finally caught up with Abby and Ethan on the fifth floor where they were waiting for us with tapping foots and frowns on their faces. Wood and I just looked at one another before we followed them up to the Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

Can guys and girls really just be friends? That was the question that I'd been pondering over for the last couple of weeks and I still wasn't any closer to an answer. Abby and the girls were adamant that it wasn't possible, Aiden was highly sceptical, but Cedric had confirmed what I believed too. Yes, maybe it gets in the way from time to time, but as he said, you don't always have to be friends with the person you're going out with, the same you don't go out with every person you're friends with.

Besides, if what Abby and Tess said was true then Wood and I wouldn't apply anyway. We had already gone out and it had ended disastrously so the sex was already a part of us knowing each other. Since we both realised we shouldn't go out, there was nothing left but for us to become friends and that meant it nullified the theory.

That was exactly what we had done and I was very grateful for it. Wood and I had become closer than I ever thought we would be, but I wasn't worried about it affecting my relationship with Cedric. Our friendship was just different than others. There was nothing to worry about.

* * *

_**Calliope's Guide to Hogwarts**_

_The Bounds of Friendship_

_There's a theory I've been told that is monumentally important to how we perceive our friendships with the opposite sex. This theory says that guys and girls can't be friends with one another without sex getting involved. It goes on to add that it doesn't matter how long it takes, at some point one will grow attracted to the other and as a result their friendship will be ruined simply because they will want to get together with the other. It's meant to happen to guys more often than to girls, and it adds that no straight man is friends with a girl he isn't attracted to. My friends seem adamant that this theory is true, but I frankly think it's a load of codswallop. I understand that it's tricky to be friends with someone from the opposite sex, but I don't believe that every single friendship will ultimately be ruined because the bloke wants to get together with the girl, whether she wants to or not._

_I'd like to think that we live in a modern society with modern ideas and a belief that we aren't just simply ruled by our baser instincts, so the concept that our friendships with the opposite sex are always determined by that tension is rather out-dated. Surely we're above being controlled by our desires and urges. We've mastered magic, have formed alliances with some of the most disparate magical creatures and groups, defeated dark lords, kept our existence from Muggles and you're trying to tell me we can't even be friends with the opposite sex? It's quite honestly a little unfair on humanity to suppose we can't look past the fact the other person is not of the same gender as us. We are creatures of higher intelligence and as such this problem isn't one that can be solved with a simple yes or no answer._

_I will admit that sometimes being friends with a bloke can go terribly awry. I've had it myself where I found out the bloke had been fancying me for months and what did I do when I found out? I freaked out and practically ended our friendship by staying away from him. But not all friendships are the same and to paint us all by the same brush is stupid. _

_I think the deciding factor that tells us whether a friendship is going to last or not, is the intention of both people when they enter into it. If the bloke becomes friends with a girl he's attracted to on the off-chance that she might get together with him, a sort of 'in case of emergency' status, then obviously that friendship is doomed to failure. But if both parties are just looking for a genuine friendship and connection, what does it matter what gender you are? The strength of a friendship will always outlast whatever hormonal feelings either party has._

_And that brings me to my last point. What happens if you've already gone out with the other person? Since the sex part was already a part of your relationship, any friendship formed after the relationship has ended would naturally fall outside this theory. Those, in my opinion, are some of the strongest friendships around and ones that can't be simply dismissed by this theory. Those friendships have survived despite the odds and a break-up and are so much stronger as a result. They are the exception to the norm, but they also prove that this theory is false._

_Friendships are tricky things at best and everyone has their own reason for being friends with someone, but I don't believe that they are ruled by our genders. Frankly it doesn't put much stock on us humans and our ability to connect with those around us. We aren't just controlled by our X or Y-chromosomes and that is the truth of the matter._

_Until next time,_

_Calliope,_

_1994_

* * *

Monday morning's Defence Against The Dark Arts was much like any other D.A.D.A. class I've had over the last few weeks. Wood was sitting next to me being an absolute swot, while my mind was drifting, taking in the students around me and watching an occasional bird dart past our windows.

But one thing did make this Monday morning's lesson different than the others before it. And that was a very unusual incident twenty minutes into the class that caught my attention and threw me through a loop.

"_I can't get no satisfaction_," Wood sang under his breath, forehead creased in concentration as he bent over his parchment.

"_Cause I try and I try and I try, and I try_," he sung on and I turned around in my seat to turn my full attention on Wood, not believing my ears one bit. I stared at him dumbfounded until he caught me looking at him and pulled his head up, a confused expression on his face.

"What?" he asked, frowning at me, his emerald eyes large.

"Why are you singing that song?" I asked him completely baffled. "In fact, how in Merlin's beard do you even know it?" My eyebrows had shot up sky high and Wood observed me for a moment in complete silence before he answered.

"The Rolling Stones?" Wood asked, going onto the defensive. "I like their music!"

"Yes, but they're a Muggle band!" I cried out, not understanding how Wood wasn't getting the strangeness of the whole scenario. "You don't know any Muggle music. In fact I distinctly remember trying to get you to listen to the Beatles months ago and you telling me you didn't like bugs!"

"Suppose I did," Wood chuckled and picked up his quill again to continue writing whatever it was that he was scribbling onto the parchment.

"Hang on," I said adamantly, pulling the quill out of his hand and fixing him with a determined stare. "Care to explain to me how you know Muggle music?"

"Oh, I've been seeing a Muggle-born girl for the last few weeks and she's introduced me to Muggle music. I thought I'd go see what the fuss was about, considering you've been banging on about it for years," Wood shrugged, as if it wasn't such a big deal. Well he was very wrong in that regard.

"Oh," I replied, a little deflated by this piece of news, but I rallied my spirits and focused on the bigger revelation. "I can't believe you're listening to Muggle music when you used to tease me for it all the time."

"Guess I was wrong," Wood shrugged, looking a little apologetic when I reminded him of his past actions. "But as I was saying, I came across that band and I really liked their music. It's cool!"

"This is so strange!" I commented, shaking my head at the absurdity of it. Wood is as Pureblood as I, but while I've always had a pretty good grasp of the Muggle world, Wood comes from one of those Pureblood families that find cars and electronic machines strange and fascinating.

"So who's the girl," I asked nonchalantly, or at least that's how I hoped I sounded.

"Rosemary Woodhouse, a seventh year Hufflepuff," Wood replied and I nodded my head, remembering the girl with strawberry blonde hair and a sweet personality.

"She's nice," I commented and Wood nodded his head with a grin.

"Aye," was his response and I suppressed a smile at that one.

"But seriously, The Rolling Stones?" I exclaimed, my nose wrinkling in disagreement. "Hello Grandpa!"

"What?"

"Could you possibly be any more old fashioned?" I remarked chuckling away at the thought that Wood listened to music my grandparents would be into.

"Hey Margate, the eighties called. They want their bad taste back," came Wood's swift response and that comment stumped me so much I stared at him in wonderment, mouth hanging wide open.

"Did you just make a Muggle music comment?" I asked closing my mouth, wondering at what point the Earth had fallen on its axis. Was the sky about to fall down too?

"That one surprised you, didn't it?" Wood chuckled and I just mutely nodded my head, staring at Wood with a whole new perspective.

"You're just full of wonders!" I exclaimed shaking my head is disbelief, a smile on my face. "Next thing you'll be telling me that you're a fan of the Tutshill Tornadoes."

"Ah you never know," Wood teased, winking at me and I just sighed.

"You're such an old man!" I laughed and then added. "So what other Muggle music are you into?"

"None, they're the only Muggle band I'm into," Wood replied and I laughed aloud at this. Figures that when Wood finally discovered Muggle music, he'd stick to something so old-fashioned.

"I'm just going to call you Old Man from now on," I chuckled and I saw a frown flicker across Wood's face before it disappeared and the genial Wood returned.

"You really had to go and sing the song with the most sexual innuendos in it, didn't you?" I added with a chortle and Wood sent me a confused stare.

"How do you mean?"

"Did you never listen to the lyrics?" I added with a snort. "_I can't get no satisfaction, cause I try and I try and I try, and I try."_

"_Hey, hey, hey, that's what I say_," Wood sang on and I laughed on, ducking my head down when I saw Professor Lupin looking our way.

"Did you never realise that the song was about Mick Jagger being sexually frustrated and how he couldn't get laid?" I added and Wood seemed surprised at that.

"Never realised that," he replied bemused and then grinned at me. "So what else is the song about?"

"How he's on a losing streak and girls just keep turning him down, but I'm sure you've never experienced that," I spoke, amusement shining through as I grinned back at him.

"You're damn straight, Margate!" Wood retorted as he winked at me. I shoved him away from me and giggled on as we spent the rest of the class singing the song to each other. It was probably quite inappropriate, but very amusing none the less.

* * *

Tuesday afternoon and I bumped into Wood again the corridor. I was running late to Muggle Studies and he was on his way to Arithmancy, but as we reached each other we paused.

"Hey Margate," he said, pulling the strap of his school bag higher up on his shoulder and I smiled back at him.

"Hey Old Man," I replied, an innocent smile on my face. His face darkened and he scowled at me, clearly displeased.

"You still gonna call me that?" he remarked, a frown on his face.

"Yep," I replied simply. "It suits you. Why do you have a problem with me calling you that?" I quipped, hands on my hips as I beamed up at his annoyed face.

"It's a stupid nickname," he scowled at me and I laughed some more, finding his discomposure incredibly hilarious.

"Awww, poor Old Man. Not strong enough to handle my teasing? Manhood feeling threatened?" I giggled, relishing in seeing his eyebrows shoot skywards at my remark. He eyed me curiously, as though he was seeing me in a whole new light. I just grinned back at him, revelling in having the upper hand and quite enjoying how the power had shifted since we became friends. It felt good to be his equal.

"Gotta go to class," I said airily, slinging my school bag onto my shoulder once more and I flashed him a winning smile and headed down the corridor once more, calling out to him over my shoulder.

"See you later, Old Man!"

* * *

Hands trailing slowly southwards, mouths kissing hungrily, the air filled with electricity were the only things I could focus on. Cedric had me pinned against the wall of the of the corridor leading to the four team locker rooms and his hands were currently skimming along my waist line, teasing my t-shirt out of its confines of my jeans, not that I minded much. I let out a breathless groan and pulled his lips towards me for another hungry kiss.

The air was growing thicker around us and I threaded my hands into Cedric's dark hair, pulling him closer to me as our tongues duelled for dominance. I was so wrapped up in the snogging session and the very delectable boyfriend against me to hear footsteps coming along the corridor.

We also were a little wrapped up in ourselves to head something clearing their throats loudly to get our attention.

It wasn't until a distinctly Scottish accent spoke loudly, "Mind disentangling from one another for a moment so I can get past?"

"Huh?" I replied, breaking off from the kiss, a dazed expression on my face. And who ever accused me of not being eloquent?

"Margate, you ever thought of doing your little snogging session somewhere less public?" Wood ground out impatiently and I fixed my confused gaze on him to see he was scowling at me.

I stepped back from Cedric to allow Wood past, a hurt expression on my face. My gaze went up to Cedric and I could see he was glaring at Wood for the rude interruption.

"Come on Chrissie, let's head back up to the castle," Cedric said and I nodded my head as Cedric reached for my hand. I turned around to gaze at the retreating figure of Wood's back, a pensive expression on my face. I couldn't understand why Wood had been so pissed off since you could hardly call the Quidditch locker rooms a public place, especially in the evening.

"Chrissie?" Cedric called out and I turned my attention back to Cedric to see he was waiting for me. I smiled at him and we left the corridor and braved our way for the walk back to the castle.

* * *

Twenty minutes later I said goodbye to Cedric on the eighth floor, near the Gryffindor Tower, but I had no intention of going back to the common room. I waited a few minutes, then took the secret staircase down to the fifth floor to avoid Cedric and dashed out of the castle before the Professors could spot and escort me back.

Once I reached the grounds I broke into an all-out sprint until I made it to the Quidditch pitch. I paused as I gazed up at the tall wooden structure in the moonlight, before I made my way to the Gryffindor locker rooms, using my wand as a source of light.

I knew he would still be down here, and I had no intention of waiting for him to return to the common room. This was private and I was determined to find out what the problem was. As I neared his office, I let out a sigh of relief when I spotted candlelight seeping out through the crack at the bottom of the wooden door. I had been right. I extinguished my wand and pulled the door open, stepping into the lit office.

Wood was sitting at his desk, sheets scattered all around him, but he wasn't paying attention to them. He was leaning back into his chair, eyes closed as he let out a deep sigh.

"You really don't let up, Margate, do you?" he spoke, not opening his eyes. I frowned at him, my annoyance for his earlier mood returning and I closed the door behind me with bang.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I bit out angrily, my hands on my hips as I walked into the office and eyed him beadily. He sat up straight and opened his eyes, a neutral expression on his face.

"Where's lover boy?" he replied scathingly and my eyes flashed at the comment, about ready to unleash hell on the boy.

"Okay that's it, Wood! I demanded enraged, slapping my hands onto his desk and glaring at Wood across from me. "Care to tell me what this really about? You and I were fine a couple of hours ago and now you're suddenly treating me like you did months ago? No friend of mine would do that!"

"It's nothing," Wood spoke dismissively, pulling his gaze away from my own.

"Don't lie to me, Wood. Seriously, why the hell are you being such an asshole to me? What did I do to deserve this?" I ranted back at him, my voice at first filled with anger but as I finished, my voice dropped and I let the hurt slide in.

Wood stood up and I straightened up myself as we eyed each other warily across the large wooden desk and he let out a sigh, changing tack.

"Why haven't you told Diggory yet that you're Calliope?" He uttered out, his voice surprisingly neutral.

Bewildered, I asked, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Wood's gaze darkened and added, "It has to do with everything! So why didn't you tell him?"

I just glared at the boy in front of me, trying to figure out what his angle was. He was far too calm all of a sudden.

"I mean I know, so you mustn't be that serious about Diggory," Wood added and I frowned at him, crossing my arms across my chest. Wood stepped around the desk until he was right next to me, his emerald eyes boring into my own.

I was still annoyed at him, but the anger was slipping away and I replied evenly, "You only found out by accident. I had no intentions of ever telling you."

"But I know," Wood responded peering intently into my hazel eyes. My eyes never left his; I was determined to hold his gaze.

"You do, and I put my trust in you with that information," I said evenly, my voice staying remarkably calm. A long silence passed between us as we stared at one another, trying to see who would break the stalemate first. As quickly as the tension flared up, it died down again as Wood finally relented.

"That you did," Wood said, a half smile gracing his handsome features, as his hands dug themselves into his trouser pockets and he observed me with a twinkle in his eye. "Let's not fight over stupid things."

"Agreed Old Man," I replied, relieved as I smiled back at him.

"Besides, I've got one up on Diggory, so I'm pretty happy!" Wood chirped and I eyed him critically, an eyebrow rising at his remark.

"What is it with you and getting one up on Cedric?"

"It's a bloke thing, Margate," Wood replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Then he slung an arm around me and pulled me in for a half hug, to which I protested, laughing lightly.

"You're impossible, you know that. Everything's a bloody competition with you!"

"Ah you know me too well," Wood said genially, still in a ridiculously spiffing mood.

"Now can we go back up to the castle, as it's bloody freezing down here," I complained and Wood led me out of the Quidditch changing rooms, arm still slung annoyingly over my shoulder.

* * *

Another night of Muggle poker was called for on the Thursday evening. None of us felt much like doing homework and Ethan and Wood seemed to have gotten the gambling bug after Tess and Jackie showed them the game a week previous. It took a bit of convincing to get Jackie to abandon her studies this time, but we managed to cajole her away from her Arithmancy essay with the promise of Butterbeer and good social interaction. The girl was turning into a bit of hermit with the N.E.W.T.s cropping up in a few months and it was our duty as her friends to distract her as much as possible.

A comfortable spot on one of the plusher rugs was procured by bribing the small group of first years with sweets and after the boys had returned from their dormitory with armfuls of Butterbeer, bought from the Weasley twins, we settled down in a circle to play the game.

I was never much of a poker player, partially because I was awful at bluffing and mostly because I was more interested in having fun with my friends than winning any kind of money.

Wood next to me wasn't having much luck either, folding far too often for his liking and when he wasn't looking I would have a sneaky look at his cards.

Ethan disappeared for a game up to the boys' dormitories and returned a couple of minutes later with something stashed in his jumper and a very wide grin on his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's make this game a little more interesting!" he declared triumphantly, pulling out a hip flask from under his jumper and winking at us.

"Ooh goody, alcohol!" Abby crowed, holding her bottle of Butterbeer out for Ethan to top it up. I grinned at him and we all held out our bottles as he spiked each one with a couple of shots of Firewhiskey.

"Merlin knows I need it, what with Aiden cleaning me out and Margate here cheating by looking at my cards every two seconds," Wood remarked dryly, taking a sip and pulling a disgusted face.

"Oy, I have not!" I cried offended, more by the fact that Wood had noticed than the fact I had been caught cheating.

"Margate," Wood spoke, turning his face towards me and giving me a patronising look. "Have you forgotten I'm a Keeper? I see everything including the fact that you keep tugging at that red bra strap of yours." He gave me a wink and my cheeks lit up as I looked away from his gaze, tugging the unruly strap back up.

"Ah now you're blushing too," Wood chuckled and I took a swig of the spiked Butterbeer to distract myself, but I only ended up gagging on the foul taste as I nearly spat out the drink.

"Merlin's beard, that's awful," I panted, after I stopped coughing and eyed the Butterbeer in my hand warily. "Ethan, what made you think Firewhiskey and Butterbeer go well together?"

"What?" Ethan replied, a confused look on his face. "I think it tastes nice."

"Ah don't worry if you can't handle your alcohol, Margate. At least your gag reflex is better," Wood, said mischievously, his eyes twinkling as he grinned at me.

"Leave my gag reflex out of this Wood," I replied haughtily, raising an eyebrow at him. "At least my performance isn't dependant on how I do on the pitch!"

That last comment I was pleased to see floored him, for he just gaped at me unable to say a word. Across from me Ethan and Aiden were cackling amongst themselves and Abby was laughing heartily.

"Oh, burn!" Ethan roared, taking another large gulp from his bottle and laughing some more. He jumped up from his spot and bounded over to us, pushing Wood out of the way and squeezing himself between the two of us as he threw an arm around my shoulders and went on.

"Chrissie, did I mention to you yet how much I love having you back in the gang? You always know how to entertain!"

"Glad to be such a great form of amusement to you," I laughed, patting him on the head before I added. "Can we get back to the game now?"

"Right, money's to be had. Aiden I'm coming for your winnings," Ethan replied jubilantly, bounding up and plopping himself down next to Tess and Aiden again.

The game went on like that for another hour or so as we all got steadily drunker and sloppier in our playing, while trying to hide the spiked drinks from a suspicious Percy Weasley, who kept looking over our way.

Wood was being as infuriating as ever, trying to covertly look at my cards, which he wasn't very good at half drunk, so I would elbow him in the side and he would poke me back. After about ten minutes of this our cards were lying forgotten about on the ground as we engaged in a poking war.

"Ha-ha, gotcha!" I cried gleefully, having poked Wood in the stomach after a particularly long scuffle between the two of us.

"Owww Margate, you've to watch out," Wood wheezed, clutching his stomach. "Any further south and you would have hit the jewels."

"Awww, poor old man. Do you want me to kiss them to make it better?" I giggled, watching with delight as his eyebrows shot up at the remark and he eyed me curiously. Then a sly grin graced his features, his emerald eyes sparkling and he lunged himself at me, poking me furiously in the side.

"Wood!" I shrieked, trying to wriggle away from his hands, laughing in between panted breaths. "We're meant to be playing poker!"

"No-one's doing any playing, Margate. Ethan and Aiden are keeping everyone entertained with their squabble," Wood said, his voice considerably lower than before. I let go of his wrists, sat up straight and glanced over at the two boys across from us to see that they were in the middle of a heated debate regarding poker with the rest of the gang watching them eagerly.

"Mate, you're cheating!" Ethan declared loudly, his voice filled with irritation.

"How am I?" Aiden replied loudly, frowning at his friend.

"You never told any of us you'd played before. Not disclosing how good you are should be considered cheating!"

"You're just pissy I won all your money," Aiden retorted with a grin on his face.

"Don't they look like an old married couple," Wood whispered in my ear and I jumped slightly, not realising he was so close.

"I don't think they'd appreciate you saying that about them. One of them is your best mate," I responded, turning my head to look at Wood and shaking my head in exasperation.

"Besides, you're invading my personal space," I said, splaying my hands on his firm chest and pushing him away from me.

Wood's eyes lit up with that one and he sent me a rather suggestive grin as he crowed, "Oh it never bothered you before, Margate."

"Well we're meant to be playing poker, before you went and distracted me," I replied, sending a mock irritated glare his way. I failed miserably though as Wood just grinned innocently at me and I grinned back. We picked up our discarded cards and I was concentrating on my hand when Wood's whisper next to my right ear caught me off guard once more.

"I wouldn't bet on that Ace of yours," he chuckled, his lips hovering around my ear for another few seconds before he pulled back once more.

I turned to Wood next to me, this time genuinely annoyed and ranted, "Stop looking at my cards!"

* * *

The morning after the night of poker we all awoke to significant hangovers and no desire to do any form of schoolwork. Aiden was the most chipper of us all, having spent most of the night winning everyone else's money to focus too much on drinking. Ethan was by far the one in the worst mood; he had drunk the most of that vile concoction and had lost a ridiculous amount of money to Aiden, which he had insisted on winning back. Naturally his plan had failed miserably and he got drunker with every hour.

When classes were finally over and the hangover was starting to wear away, Abby cornered me right after the last History of Magic class and insisted on speaking to me privately. We had trudged our way back up to the Gryffindor Tower and it was only when we were back in our dormitory that I turned to Abby to see what this was all about.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked, plopping down on the bed and rubbing circles along my temples to ease the headache that had been quietly thumping for the last hour.

"I don't know how to say it without you getting all defensive on me," Abby replied and I raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what it could be that would stop the usually brash Abby from saying what's on her mind.

"Hold that thought while I go look for a headache potion," I added quickly, diving into my trunk and looking for the elusive small bottle.

"Purely hypothetical here, but now that you and Oliver are friends again. It isn't because there's still something between you, is there?" Abby asked keeping her voice as neutral as could be.

"Abby, I'm with Cedric so this question is completely pointless!" I replied, not looking up as I continued scouring through my trunk.

My head popped up, pausing in my quest as I added, "Is that what you brought me up here to talk about?"

"I know you Chrissie, you're my best friend and I want you to be honest with me. I know we were joking earlier about the chemistry between you and Oliver, but both you and I know that it's there and it always will be," Abby elaborated, sitting down on my bed next to me and looking at me earnestly. "I just want you to be aware of it and I don't want to see Cedric get hurt. I like him and you need to be honest to him and yourself about this."

"Well this is heavy for a hangover-day," I quipped lightly, but when I saw that Abby wasn't smiling, I added seriously, "I know Abby. I'm well aware that I could hurt him, but you have to trust me that I know what I'm doing."

"I'm not so sure," Abby sighed, taking my hands and giving them a squeeze. "You've always been so naïve about these things. I just want you to remember that blokes and girls can't be friends without sex getting in the way. It might not crop up today or tomorrow, but at some point it's gonna make an appearance and that's when you're screwed. Just be honest with yourself. What's the real reason you're friends with Oliver?"

The question stumped me and I sat there unable to say a word without even an idea of how to answer her. "I don't know. Does there have to be a reason?"

"There's always a reason, Chrissie. You might not think I have much experience with blokes, but this I know. There's a reason and I just want you to be sure it's for the right one."

"I would much rather be friends with him than not," I conceded quietly, looking away and focusing my attention on my fingernails, examining the chipped nail polish on them. "He's a part of my life here at Hogwarts and he's become important to me, especially over these last few months."

Abby next to me nodded her head slowly, which I saw from my peripheral view, a serious expression on her face. "I just want you to be aware of it and it's okay to be friends with him. He's a pretty decent bloke and I'm quite glad that you see that again. It was a bit of a bitch when you two were fighting, because you know Chrissie that he would do anything for those he cares about."

"Yeah," I replied, a smile on my face as I remembered all the times Wood had gone out of his way to help me out, even when I didn't ask for it. "He's good like that."

"Alright then," Abby exclaimed, pushing herself off the bed and stretching out her arms. She pulled her wand out of her back pocket and uttered the 'Accio' spell, summoning my headache potion out of my trunk before handing it to me. "I'm gonna go and hang out with Ethan. Didn't you say you wanted to meet up with Cedric?"

"Oh shit!" I cried, looking at my watch and seeing that I was fifteen minutes late. I jumped up, gulped down a mouthful of the vile tasting potion and grabbed my cloak as I darted out of the dormitory, hoping that Cedric wouldn't be too pissed with me for being so late.

* * *

Saturday evening was a quiet affair for me. Cedric was studying with his mates in the Hufflepuff common room and feeling slightly claustrophobic, especially since Ethan and Abby started having a blazing row in the middle of the Gryffindor common room; I had snuck out of the portrait hole while no one was looking. I sprinted down the corridor, the Fat Lady yelling after me to come back, but I ignored her and turned a corner. The only thing was I ran straight into Wood, his Quidditch training gear slung over his shoulders and hair rumpled from the gale force winds outside. I smiled when I saw that his chiseled face was speckled with mud and his clothes didn't look much better.

"Where you off to?" Wood asked, mouth forming into a large smile upon spotting me. I smiled at him in return and halted in front of him, a little breathless.

"Away from the common room. Abby and Ethan are having a blazing row over something innate and I wasn't in the mood to stick around," I replied easily, shifting my weight onto the other leg.

"Then what's with you running? Peeves or Percy chasing you?" Wood asked mischievously and I giggled in return.

"No, just the Fat Lady giving out to me for being out in the corridors on my own," I replied sheepishly and Wood chuckled at that.

"Well then as a big strapping male, it should be my duty to make sure you get back to the common room safe and sound," Wood smirked and I laughed at him, elbowing him in the side.

"Your ego is growing far too large again," I retorted amusedly and Wood's eyes pierced mine, his gaze intense before he pulled them away and looked down the corridor I had just come from.

"I'm really not in the mood to deal with Ethan and Abby. Have you any ideas, Margate?" he asked and I thought it over for a moment, before my eyes lit up and I turned around, calling out over my shoulder.

"You coming, Old Man?" I hollered out and I was pleased to hear his shuffling feet running to catch up with me.

We walked in a pleasant silence until I found the old Transfiguration classroom with the musty sofa and stacked desks against the wall.

"I thought this place might be better than the common room. It's a whole lot more peaceful too," I remarked and Wood nodded his head in approval, walking in ahead of me. He dumped his Quidditch gear in the corner next to the open door, which I promptly closed after us and sealed it with a Muffliato charm.

"So what now?" Wood asked and I grinned at him as I pulled out a pack of cards from my jeans pocket. I was pleased to see his eyes light up at the notion of a game.

"Game of cards; just the two of us?" I inquired, cocking my head to the side.

"You're a genius," Wood replied approvingly. He walked over to the far wall and picked up one of the desks, dropping it in the centre of the room as I pulled two chairs towards it.

I sat down across from him as he dropped himself into the seat, taking the cards from me and shuffling them quickly.

"Alright, what shall it be?" he inquired and I leaned forwards, my eyes twinkling.

"I think I'll show you how to play Texas Hold 'Em. I'm in the mood for something riskier," I replied and Wood's eyes gleamed at the words.

"Ha ha, gotcha!" I cried jubilantly, slamming my pair of queens on the table in front of me. "You are so easy to fool," I added happily, picking up the cards and shuffling them, all the while humming a song under my breath.

"It's a good thing we're not playing for real money," Wood sighed, leaning back against the chair and stretching his arms over his head. The action caused his jumper and t-shirt to ride up exposing a portion of his stomach, an act I did not fail to miss.

"Merlin it's getting warm in here," Wood muttered, rising up from the chair and walking towards the hearth with the crackling fire we had lit fifteen minutes ago. He ambled his way back to the desk where I was still sitting and pulled the jumper up over his head. I eyed the action from the corner of my eye, still shuffling the cards and I must have focused on his torso for too long because Wood's voice broke my trance.

"See something you like, Margate?" he chuckled; voice an octave deeper than normal. I blushed and looked away, embarrassed to have been caught red handed staring at Wood's abs. Even if they were mighty fine. Feeling a little flustered, I stood up and dropped the cards on the table, walking towards the fireplace just to get a bit of distance from Wood. The heat in the room and his close proximity was making me lightheaded and I was having trouble thinking straight.

"Margate?" he asked, and I turned around realising how handsome he was looking in the candlelight. His honey coloured hair was glinting and there was a certain gleam in his eyes that had my heart speeding up and jumping every few seconds.

"Have you had enough of me already?" he inquired and I had to smile because he was using his puppy dog eyes on me.

"No, not yet," I relented, making my way towards him slowly. "You'd have to do a whole lot more to get me to be fed up with you."

"Excellent!" he cried out, those smouldering eyes of his finally relenting. Dimly in the back of my mind I could hear the warning bells go off, alerting me to the fact I was probably stepping into some very dangerous water. I just ignored it and sat down across from Wood, ready for another game with him.

"Okay, now you're cheating!" Wood cried out annoyed, slamming down the cards onto the table in a huff. I let out a laugh and drew them towards me, gloating over another win.

"Na nana na na!" I sang, bouncing up and down on the chair. "Oh what would the guys say if they heard you were constantly bested by a girl," I teased, rubbing it in to see Wood scowling at me.

"You've gotta be cheating!" Wood insisted and I let out an affronted cry.

"I'm so not! You're just crap at this game!" I retorted and he stood up.

"Fine, then stand up," he ordered and I frowned at him before relenting and standing up also. He walked over to me and started pulling up my sleeves looking for cards hidden there.

"Hey, I said I wasn't cheating," I cried, trying to grab my hands back but Wood wouldn't let go off me.

All the squirming was starting to get ticklish and when Wood went to pat down my legs, a large grin on his face I squealed and tried to pull away.

"Stop Wood, you're tickling me!" I giggled, squirming even more under his light touch. I fought back and dug my free hand into his side in an attempt to get him back.

"Stop, Margate," Wood ground out in between the laughter, but I just grinned at him and dove for his sides, tickling him with all my might.

"Okay, that's it," Wood called out, blocking my attacks and grabbing my wrists in one fell swoop, splaying them up against his chest to stop me from going for his sides again.

We gazed at one another, intense green eyes locking with hazel ones and we just stared at one another for a moment, panting slightly from exertion.

"Well it's a good thing you and I are such good mates, or this would just look inappropriate," Wood chuckled and it took my dazed mind a few seconds to register the comment. I was far too distracted by Wood's toned chest against me.

"What?" I uttered a little dumbstruck.

"You and I as friends. I read your article from Monday. I'm assuming you were talking about us in it?" he asked and a light bulb went off in my head.

"Oh yeah," I replied, recognition washing over me. "The girls had this theory that blokes and girls can't be friends without sexual undertones getting involved and I didn't agree with them."

"Did you now?" Wood chuckled eyes darkening at my declaration. "And how so?"

"Well you and I are a perfect example!" I stated as if it was the most obvious thing.

"Margate, you and I went out months ago meaning that the girls were right. It's been a part of our friendship right from the start," Wood said amused, letting my hands go and I took a few steps back, resting my bum against the edge of the table.

"Yeah but it's not a part of our friendship anymore, thus proving my point," I argued back, looking up and expecting Wood to agree with me. Instead his eyes were smouldering and he was wearing a knowing smile.

"Are you sure about that?" Wood intoned as he dug his hands into his trouser pockets and fixed me with one of those stares that went right down to my soul.

"Of course I am. We tried that and it didn't work. You're seeing that Hufflepuff girl and I'm with Cedric," I replied matter of factly, but my brow crinkled when I saw that Wood was grinning at me.

"I'm not seeing her anymore," he replied, his eyes sparkling as he pulled his hands out of his pockets and started languidly walking towards me.

"What? Why?" I inquired pushing myself off from the desk I had been slouching against and sending a confused stare his way.

"There's somebody else," he responded, making his way towards me with utmost grace and I was about to ask who, when he stopped abruptly in front of me, mere inches from my face.

It suddenly dawned on me how tall and imposing he could be, but also how handsome he was up close. With a dim realisation I could smell my favourite aftershave on him and pointed it out.

"You're wearing that aftershave I like so much," I said, my voice faltering when I saw the intense look on his face, the grin still sitting there.

"Yeah," he responded calmly, that intense gaze of his boring into my soul and I suddenly realised who he had meant.

"Oh," I said numbly and that sparkle in his eyes seemed to return at my answer, for he suddenly wound his arms around my waist and pulled me flush against his body. My throat constricted and my heart began hammering against my chest as I stared in wonderment at Oliver so exquisitely close. He was so handsome and I would be a fool of I didn't admit that I always felt something for the Scot who had his arms wrapped around me. My body started tingling, the electrifying feeling radiating outwards from the spot on my lower back where his fingers were lightly caressing my skin. Somehow his hands had managed to find the small bare skin free on my back and it was driving me to distraction.

We had become so close in the last few weeks, and somehow in the back of my mind it had made him all the more appealing to me. What had only being been an initial attraction had blossomed into something more substantial.

But the way he was staring at me right now, so incredibly sexy and confident I wanted him to kiss me like no tomorrow. In fact I wanted more than that, as my traitorous mind reminded me by flooding my thoughts with very dirty thoughts of Oliver Wood, that I was having quite some trouble dispelling. My legs would soon give way if he kept this up and the only thing that would keep me upright and sane would be Wood.

"Now you tell me this isn't exactly what you wanted," he purred into my ear and I shivered with the proximity of his lips next to my throat. If I leaned my head a little to the side he could capture my pulse point and the thought itself sent another little shiver down my spine. My breathing grew ragged and I could feel myself arching into his touches, craving more.

But Oliver Wood seemed to be waiting for an answer and gently used one of his hands to pull my face up to meet his, his fingers trailing circles along my throat. At first I tried to avoid eye contact, but he wouldn't budge and I slowly met his emerald eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat.

I couldn't lie to him even if I wanted; he knew me too well and would be able to see right through my deception. I wanted him so badly and my traitorous body was giving him all the signs.

"Yeah I do," I conceded, voice breathless and I wondered would this be the moment he would finally kiss me. My teeth started biting at my bottom lip and I watched as his eyes zeroed in on them, his tongue darting out and moistening his own lips. The action was so incredibly hot I repressed a shudder.

A small grin returned to his lips and he uttered, "I knew it Chrissie. You were always so easy to read."

As the thought of kissing Oliver Wood filled my head with all its delightful sensations, my mind jarred back to reality when the face of Cedric swam in front of my face. The thought was as effective as dousing me in cold water and instantly killed my libido. The lump returned to my throat as a wave of guilt and regret washed over me. I was with Cedric and I really liked Cedric, so I knew I couldn't do this to him, yet I couldn't deny how Wood made me feel. I had been fighting a losing battle before, but I somehow didn't have the energy anymore.

Wood leaned his head down towards my throat and gently kissed it, sending my pulse and heartbeat skyrocketing. I had to make a decision fast before all my senses were lost to me, but a large part of me didn't want Oliver Wood to stop. In fact a large part of me wanted to egg him on and pull him down onto the table behind me. I leaned my neck to the side, thus giving him more access and allowed my traitorous body and consciousness to enjoy it for a few more seconds. What I would have to do would not be pretty or easy and as a sob welled up in me, I realised it was the last thing I truly wanted.

"Wood, don't," I said softly and I was surprised he had even heard me. He pulled his head away from my neck and stared at me in adorable confusion. I held back the tears that would inevitably come and went on.

"I'm with Cedric."

Wood swallowed and then looked down at me, his expression thoughtful.

"Yes you are." he sighed and gently unwound his arms, letting me go. I suddenly felt so much colder that I wished for his warm embrace again. He gazed into my hazel eyes, but he must not have found what he had wanted to see, for he took a step back and dropped his hands to his sides.

"I'm sorry!" I cried out, the desperation evident in my voice and he nodded mutely, before turning around and walking silently out of the classroom.

I was left on my own and before I could even stop it, I sat down on one of the desks and burst into tears for all the pent up frustration Oliver Wood had left me with, for the guilt of what I could have done to Cedric and for how much I now regretted my decision.

There was no way I could ever fool myself into thinking he and I were just friends. Hell, the girls had been right all along and now I was suffering because of the consequences.

* * *

**A/N's: I'm sorry guys! Do you hate me for that chapter? I gave you guys a mountain load of Wood and Chrissie and I end it in such a way, but trust me, it'll be fine. Things are going to be moving pretty quickly for those two from now on.**

**As always I love hearing what your favourite quotes, pieces are so please keep them coming. **

**Chapter 14 shouldn't be too far behind and then you'll get a fun little gift for me, but I'll not say anything about it yet.**

**Love you guys, and as always please review!**

**Agrolass**

**xx**


	14. Jealousy, The Biggest Sin Of Them All

**_Chapter 14; Jealousy – The Biggest Sin Of Them All_**

"Holy crap, what did I just do?" I cried aloud to everyone and no one in particular. It had been almost five minutes since Wood had left the empty old classroom and the tears had dried by this point. But while the physical evidence of my distress was gone, I still couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

_I mean, seriously, where the hell did that one come from?_

I didn't like Wood! That had ended months ago and we both agreed that we really weren't a good match together, if our disastrous attempt at going out had been any indication. Yet, here I had gone and almost kissed him, and he had reciprocated. Were there residual feelings I hadn't addressed with Wood yet that could have caused such a hiccup?

_Oh Merlin, then there's Cedric._

I sighed, dropping my head into my hands and rubbing my eyes tiredly. Wood and I might not have kissed, but no matter from what angle I looked at this, it didn't look good.

_What was I going to do?_

The only thing that seemed to register in my brain was that I needed to speak to Wood before this entire thing blew up in our faces. I wiped away any stray tears I might have forgotten and jumped off the desk, bounding out of the classroom in search of the tall Scot.

I finally caught up with him on the eighth floor near the Gryffindor Tower with dishevelled hair, a blotchy red face from too much exertion and lungs that wouldn't cooperate fully.

"Wood, wait!" I panted out and he spun around on his heels, his face inscrutable. That was never a good sign these days.

"We need to talk about this," I spoke, voice breathless as I grabbed my side where a painful stitch had formed from the running.

"What's there to say, Margate?" Wood said cryptically and I leaned one hand against the wall to support myself.

"We need to talk about this," I pressed on, refusing to be dissuaded from the topic. I would not run from it this time and I would be damned if Wood tried to sweep it under the rug again.

"What's there to talk about, it was a mistake," he intoned, voice devoid of all emotion and I sighed, pushing myself off the wall and walking slowly towards him.

"Yes it was, but I'm not about to lose a friendship over it so we are going to discuss this problem," I insisted and Wood nodded his head, glancing over my shoulder before his eyes finally settled on mine.

"Margate," Wood sighed, coming up close to me and gazing down into my hazel eyes as he spoke softly. "You're not gonna lose me as a friend because of this."

"Well we've stopped talking over stupider things, so forgive me if I'm a little unsure here," I replied fiercely, eyes blazing with determination, but they softened when I saw that Wood wasn't on the defensive. He was agreeing with all I was saying and it was throwing me through a loop. I was so used to Wood always disagreeing with me; it was still strange to think he agreed with me from time to time.

"So we agree it was a mistake then?" I asked him and he nodded his head at me, the actions slow and assured. "Good, because I don't want this getting in the way of our friendship. You mean too much to me."

"Right back at you." Wood smiled and then added in a sombre tone. "Besides you and I never actually kissed, so it's not like we've done anything wrong here."

"Yeah?" I replied, unsure of whether I should believe him or not.

"It's alright, Margate," Wood assured me, pulling his hands out of his pockets and rubbing my upper arms lightly. "Now that we've agreed it's a mistake, what are you going to do about Diggory?"

"Oh Merlin," I sighed, dropping my head down so my dirty blonde hair covered my face. I slowly brought my face up again and gazed into Wood's striking emerald eyes to see if I could find an answer in them. "What the hell am I going to tell him?"

"I don't know Margate, that's your call," Wood shrugged his shoulders and I knew he wouldn't tell me what to do. It was my decision, and my decision alone.

"Well," I thought, looking away and fixing my gaze on a brick on the wall across from me. "As you said, we never kissed so it's not like anything happened." My gaze returned up to his face to see that a light frown was marring his forehead, but he didn't look angry or annoyed – just thoughtful.

"That's your decision, not mine," he said again and I nodded my head. "Anyway, it's not like it's your fault anyway. I was just being an idiot and who got a little confused there." Wood pulled his gaze away and my eyes followed his to see that they were focused on the portrait hole on the other end of the corridor.

"What about us?" I asked him, my eyes betraying how unsure I felt about that question. "Are we going to be okay after this?"

Wood's gaze returned back to my own and he gripped my upper arms once more, his gaze penetrating deeply.

"We are gonna be fine, Margate," he replied, a small smile on his face. I nodded my head relieved, drinking in his sight and realising that he smelled as great now as he did before in the empty classroom. I could see that Wood's gaze had left my eyes and had travelled southwards zeroing in on my lips that I licked self-consciously. I was also dimly aware that we were drawing closer to one another as Wood's head bent down for a kiss.

The sexual tension between us sped up suddenly as the air thickened and every fibre in my body became more alive with his close proximity. My heart too was skipping beats and I could feel myself drawing closer to him, leading to the same conclusion we had only narrowly averted minutes before.

"I think you should go," Wood breathed, closing his eyes as he said those words and slowly drawing his head back, as if the very action was killing him. "Before either one of us does something we'll regret," he added, voice husky and coming out in more of a growl.

I nodded my head, licking my lips again and taking a cautious step back, only now realising how wobbly my legs felt.

"Yeah, that's probably the best," I breathed out, shoving my hands into my jeans pockets so they wouldn't try and grab the incredibly irresistible Scot in front of me.

"You go on ahead and I'll follow you in, in a bit," Wood uttered slowly and I nodded my head, taking another step back before I turned around and unsteadily made my way to the portrait hole, knowing he was watching my every move.

I paused in front of the Fat Lady, wondering how I was ever going to be around Wood alone again if this is what we had been reduced to.

_And what did the entire episode mean? _

I couldn't wrap my head around it, and it was with this on my mind that I uttered the password and walked into the Gryffindor common room.

oo|oo

I didn't know how to act around Wood anymore. That in itself wasn't a new phenomenon; I'd never known how to act around Wood, but this time it was affecting my other friendships too, and most importantly my relationship with Cedric. Ever since that near kiss between us on Saturday I hadn't known what to do about it. There was no way I could tell Cedric and ruin a perfectly great relationship for a mistake that didn't mean much on the grand scale of things, but the thing was I knew it was wrong.

Added to that I couldn't understand what it meant between Wood and I. Were we still attracted to one another, did he want to get back together or had it just been a lust-induced moment where we went for the nearest person, which happened to be each other? I couldn't make heads nor tails of it and it was throwing me through a loop.

It was with these heavy thoughts weighing on my mind that I walked into the Great Hall on a Tuesday at lunchtime and made my way to our usual spot at the Gryffindor table. More than anything I desperately wanted to talk to someone about it, but Abby would just be cross with me, and Tess and Jackie just wouldn't understand.

I paused as I walked up to our spot on the benches that were usually inhabited by my friends, but they were empty save for one; Wood had beaten me to it

I swallowed the lump that had formed in the back of my throat and saw as his head went up and a wave of recognition washed across his face, before it became inscrutable once more. I stopped walking, unsure and thinking maybe it would be better to sit next to Cedric today. But then I realised what a coward I was being and I mustered up what little courage I had and walked over to our spot, and sat down across from Wood.

"Margate," Wood said solemnly and I nodded back at him, unable to look into his eyes for more than a few seconds.

"Wood," I replied and I fidgeted with my hands, pulling a plate in front of me and ordering pumpkin soup. I focused my attention on my soup, eating it slowly all the while incredibly aware of Wood tucking into his cob sandwich across from me and how there was a little dab of mayonnaise on his lips that I desperately wanted to wipe away.

I chastened myself for such thoughts and glanced towards the large oak doors to see Abby, Ethan and Tess making their way towards us. Relief washed over me and I sat up straighter, smiling at my best friend as she slid into the seat next to me.

"What's with you?" Abby queried, a frown on her face as she eyed me warily. She pulled a plate towards her and tucked into her chips, bringing her gaze back up to mine.

"What?" I asked, puzzled and I saw that Wood had stopped eating his sandwich to watch the exchange.

"You and Oliver have been acting all weird and skittish around one another for the last few days," she added, shrewdly, turning to look at Wood across from us. His face was bland and he just raised an eyebrow at Abby. Getting no answer from him, she turned her chocolate eyes back onto mine and raised her own eyebrow at me.

"Well?"

"There's nothing going on," I shrugged in response and Abby let out an irritated sigh, dropping her fork onto the table.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Chrissie. You're barely talking to each other and you didn't sit next to each other in Defence yesterday morning. You don't have to be a genius to know something's up with you two, so spill!" Abby ordered and I looked away, fidgeting with my hair. I had no rebuttal to her accusations; mostly because they were right on the mark and I could never lie successfully to Abby.

"Margate's just pissy with me because she lost a bet on the Quidditch League," Wood responded easily and I glanced up at Wood to see he was nodding his head at me.

"Seriously, that's what this is all about?" Abby queried and I nodded my head, turning my gaze on her.

"Yeah," I replied and she shook her head at the two of us, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"You two are idiots!" she remarked and went back to her plate of chips, squirting extra ketchup onto them. "So what was this bet about anyway?"

"We had a bet on the Magpies versus Wasps game over the weekend and now Margate won't hand over the five Galleons she owes me," Wood spoke so easily and a light-bulb went off in my head as I remembered the controversial match from the weekend where both Seekers had grabbed the Snitch at the same time and the officials had called the match in the Magpies' favour as opposed to the Wasps, which the Snitch had called as the true winners. We had debated over the outcome of the match that afternoon, so it seemed logical that Wood would use it as an excuse.

"As I told you on Saturday, the Snitch called the match in favour of the Wasps. The officials were wrong!" I declared, growing animated as the topic was brought up once again.

"And the Snitch isn't in charge of calling a match. Besides they had to factor in the foul from one of the Beaters earlier on," Wood rebutted and Abby chuckled at the both of us.

"It's always about Quidditch with you two," Abby snorted, picking up another chip. "I betcha you two would still argue over Quidditch in the middle of a snogging session!" She chuckled away to herself and I had to feign a laugh at her joke, glad Abby didn't realise how close to the mark she had hit.

oo|oo

By Wednesday afternoon I was no closer to figuring out what was up with Wood and I. I was afraid to spend time alone with him for fear of that sexual tension overwhelming me again and doing something I wasn't sure I would regret anymore. We had crossed that barrier no friends should ever cross and I wasn't quite sure if we would ever be able to go back to the way it used to be.

I couldn't deny how Wood had made me feel since we almost kissed. Whenever I was in his presence my heart would skip a beat, my senses became more alive and I also found myself blushing more, a habit I was not fond of. The short of the story was that I was attracted to him again. I wasn't quite sure when it happened, or even how my feelings changed, but at some point between us becoming friends again and Saturday evening something had changed between us.

What was even more disconcerting was that the same had happened to Wood. Was that why he decided to be friends with me, or did it creep up on him too, like a stranger in the night?

The only thing I knew was that it couldn't have come at a worse time for me. I had a boyfriend now, and having inappropriate thoughts about your ex was never a good thing, never mind when you're with someone else. How the hell were we ever going to reconcile our friendship with this?

My thoughts went back to that evening in the disused old Transfiguration classroom, standing next to the table where we had played cards and Wood had gazed at me so deeply with his emerald coloured eyes.

I remembered that grin on his face as he pulled up next to me and his scent overwhelmed my senses.

Wood looked as delectable as ever, his pale blue t-shirt showing off the muscles developed from years of Quidditch, his honey-coloured hair glimmered in the candle light and adorably mussed, just the way I liked it. Then there were his intense eyes that always managed to pull me in, and if he looked at me in a certain way I would do whatever he wanted me to.

The power he held over me was undeniable as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me flush against his hard chest, that exact same chest I had just been admiring a few seconds ago.

The trail of kisses he left along my throat was fiery and burned me to my core. His feather light touches sent electrical currents up my spine and a wooziness to cloud my train of thoughts, so the only thing I would focus on were his kisses. His lips began their long and arduous journey along my jaw until he finally captured my lips in a searing kiss. His tongue duelled with mine for dominance, a battle I was quite happy to lose for once as his fingers burned a trail along my waist, pausing slowly to cup my bum before trailing up and down my thigh.

It was heavenly and pure hell, for no matter how searing his kisses were, they just weren't enough.

A frenzy starting to take over my thoughts as my hands wrapped themselves around his neck, pulling him closer as I intensified the kiss, breath hot and demanding more, but no matter how much I pressed myself against his chest it wasn't enough.

"More," I panted, pulling my lips away from his to utter out the guttural demand and I gazed into Wood's emerald eyes to see they had darkened with lust. A slow smile spread across his face as he grabbed my upper thighs. I leapt into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist as he staggered forwards until my bum collided with the table.

Once I was deposited on the desk, our movements became more heated and frantic as his kisses intensified and his hands starting pulling at my jumper, pulling the offending garment over my head. I went for his t-shirt determined to remove the last piece of clothing between me, and his wonderfully, naked chest; I elicited frustrated cries as he chuckled, letting me pull it off over his head. His eyes darkened once more and zeroed in on my throat as his lips latched onto the pulse point and sucked. I groaned and leaned my head back as he kissed a trail down my collarbone and towards where my chest disappeared underneath my t-shirt. My hands grabbed his shoulder blades for support and the only thought that registered in my mind was that I had to get Wood out of those damned jeans –

"Miss Margate!" a decidedly irritated voice called out, dispelled my fantasy and reluctantly pulled me back into reality. I focused my attention on the Muggle Studies Professor, Charity Burbage, who had appeared out of nowhere to stand next to my desk and I sent her a confused stare.

"Sorry?" The class tittered around me and I ignored them, needing another few seconds to remember that I was still in Muggle Studies and it had been nothing more than a very entertaining fantasy.

"I was asking you where your homework was, Miss Margate," she repeated the question, raising an eyebrow at me and I blushed, sheepishly handing over the essay that was sitting under my books.

"Thank you, now please try and focus on the blackboard and not your daydreams," she uttered and I nodded my head, ducking it down so people wouldn't see how embarrassed I was. Thankfully Burbage didn't know Legilimency or else I'd be a dead woman.

Annoyingly the one woman who didn't need to know Legilimency was sitting next to me and she was alternating between laughing at me and sending me very pointed looks that were declaring I should tell her what I had been daydreaming about.

"Care to elaborate on what had you grinning like a Cheshire cat for the last ten minutes?" Abby remarked when the Professor had returned to the front of the class and was once more explaining to the class the differences between Muggle and Magical libel laws.

"No," I replied stiffly, still annoyed and embarrassed at being caught by a teacher daydreaming in class. I just hoped I hadn't said anything aloud. I quickly glanced around the class and saw that everyone's attention had returned to what they were doing before. That was always a good sign, because if I had just been humiliated in public they would not have ignored me this quickly.

"Come on, I'm bored so spill," Abby pressed on and then she grinned at me, her face lighting up with a devious quality that usually meant I was about to be teased mercifully for it.

"Well I take it from that blush on your face you were having the naughty kind of daydream. So do tell me what you were fantasising about doing to Cedric. What kind of pervy habits do you have in the sack?" she teased and I avoided her eyes, blushing once more that Abby had at least partially gotten right what I had been fantasising about. Thankfully she had assumed it had been about Cedric and for a second I realised that it should have been about Cedric. Yet it wasn't.

That concept freaked me out and I clammed up, unwilling to talk anymore about it to Abby. It was bad enough to be caught fantasising in class and to be teased about it, but it's quite another when the object of your fantasies was none other than your ex boyfriend. I had to get this stupid obsession with the near kiss out of my system before someone found out and all hell would break loose.

oo|oo

I didn't know what to do about the entire situation anymore. It freaked me out beyond belief and so I done what I always done when I was unsure about a situation. I retreated so I wouldn't have to deal with it. Added to this was the great fear that someone would discover my secret and after Muggle Studies this afternoon, I knew I had to be more careful. Abby and the rest of my friends were too astute for their own good, and it was only a matter of time before they or someone else found out about my attraction to Wood.

That was why I was wandering around the corridors of Hogwarts, hand in hand with Cedric that Wednesday evening, stopping occasionally to let other people walk past or to snog in a dark alcove. As the hours wore on I could feel the guilt I had been carrying on my shoulders easing as my mind began to rationalise my actions away once more.

After all, it wasn't like I had actually cheated on Cedric. Wood and I could honestly say we hadn't kissed, so this was all just in my head. There was nothing for me to feel guilty about; I reasoned, and that would be the end of the topic. I would stay away from Wood for a while until these residual feelings disappeared and then all would be back to normal once more.

"So, my birthday's next week," Cedric uttered, breaking the silence that had enveloped us for the past few minutes.

"Really?" I asked him, surprised I hadn't known his birthday already.

"Yeah. The big seventeen. Can't wait to be of age," Cedric quipped happily and I smiled up at him, squeezing his hand. He squeezed it back in return and came to a stop, pulling me closer. "So what are you going to get me?" The sparkle in his eyes was wonderful to see and I grinned at his mischievousness.

"I'm not going to tell you!" I replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ah come on, I hate waiting!" Cedric pouted and I laughed, wondering if all blokes acted like this when they didn't get what they wanted. My mind flashed back to Wood pulling that exact same expression and my smile faltered as I pushed the memory to the back of my consciousness.

"Well you're gonna have to, because I haven't even made up my mind what to get you yet," I replied, rallying my spirits quickly enough.

"Oh come on Chrissie, you're ruining my fun!" Cedric pouted and I laughed some more, kissing him on his pouting lips before dragging him along again and swiftly changing the subject.

Yep, I had decided that's how I would deal with all my problems. Push them away and change the topic. It was bound to be better than what I was doing now.

oo|oo

I was having a great Friday until Wood went and ruined it all. Morning classes had finished, Cedric and I had spent the entire lunch giggling like little school children with his friends at the Hufflepuff table and we were making our way out of the Great Hall doors, hand in hand and still laughing away to ourselves when we had to bump into him. Specifically, not just Wood, but Rosemary and Wood.

That in itself took me by surprise, as I had never actually seen her with Wood before and it took me another moment to realise he was lightly holding her hand.

My eyes immediately zeroed in on the conjoined hands, eyes growing large as I jutted out my chin like I always did when I became annoyed. When I looked up again I saw that he was wearing a sheepish look on his face, too afraid to meet my eyes and I huffed and walked on, leaving a confused Cedric behind to sprint after me.

"What's the matter?" he asked me, once he had caught up and I ground my teeth for a moment before I let out a frustrated sigh.

"Chrissie?"

"Nothing's wrong," I ground out angrily, fists clenching and unclenching at my sides as my eyes flashed, focusing on nothing in particular.

"You sure?" Cedric asked sceptically, pulling me to a stop so I would look at him. I took a deep breath using all my might to push the sudden anger that had flared up at seeing the two and looked up at Cedric. His grey eyes were darkening with confusion and his brow was crinkled as he took me in.

"Yeah. Just realised something I should have figured out a long time ago," I responded cryptically, using all my energy to muster up a smile for my boyfriend. He hesitantly smiled back at me, taking my hand once more as we continued down the corridor. Even though Cedric believed I had calmed down, the reality was very different. I was far from calm and Wood and I would be having a conversation before the night was out; and it wouldn't be pretty.

oo|oo

It didn't take long to find Wood on my own again. Cedric had to rush to Defence Against The Dark Arts and after I had dropped him off on the second floor, I marched back down to the Great Hall, fully intending on finding Wood and having a few words with the Scot.

It wasn't hard to find him; he was lounging by the marble staircase with a few of the seventh year Hufflepuffs that he sometimes hung out with. His arm was resting against the marble banister, tie askew and the top few buttons of his shirt open as he laughed at something Joseph Dorny said to him. I ignored the Hufflepuff boys and marched up to Wood, my eyes blazing as I interrupted their conversation.

"Wood, I need to talk to you."

I saw Wood sigh and drop his head, before he looked up again and grinned genially the three boys. "Looks like we'll have to sort this out later on, lads. It seems I'm about to get a bollocking." He grinned at those words and the three boys guffawed back at him, slapping him on the back and calling out.

"See you later mate. Good luck!"

Wood grinned at their retreating backs while I glared at the side of his head and he took another few seconds before he turned around and brought his attention to me again.

"I see you're back to being an asshole to women again!" I declared loudly, the anger coming through in every syllable I uttered. My hands were at my hips and I pursed my lips in annoyance as I watched Wood's genial green eyes flash with irritation.

"What are you talking about, Margate?" Wood bit out, crossing his arms across his chest and standing up straight so that he suddenly seemed so much taller than me.

"You and Rosemary Woodhouse. Whatever happened to 'I'm not seeing her anymore'?" I yelled at him, crossing my own arms across my chest so that we were mirroring each other. My eyes narrowed at the Scot in front of me, so furious that he was back to his old tricks again and that I had actually bought he had changed.

"Stay out of this, Margate!" Wood warned, his voice dropping an octave or two. He took another step towards me and gazed fiercely down at me. It was unfair that he was so tall, because he could be intimidating on that alone without even trying.

"Why should I? This concerns me too considering what happened with you and I a few days ago. You think I'm gonna stand around while you treat another girl as shit as you treated me?" The words were coming out of me before I could stop them, and what was worse I was yelling them at the top of my lungs. The concept that someone might overhear us and find out didn't even cross my mind; that's how angry I was. In hindsight, I was being quite irrational too.

Wood thankfully though, still had his head screwed on because the next thing he done was grit his teeth in frustration and grab my arm as he yanked me towards the Trophy Room. I of course yelled out at him to stop dragging me away, but Wood just ignored me until he had gotten me into the room and slammed the door behind me.

Wood quickly let go of my arm and took a few steps away, leaning against the closed door behind him, breathing heavily. I continued glaring at him and walked towards the trophy cabinet, leaning my back against the glass case, arms across my chest once more. We glared at each other for a minute or so before Wood opened his mouth.

"You've no right to make any form of judgement on this, Margate," Wood ground out and I scoffed at him in return.

"You think I don't?" I laughed, raising my eyebrows at him. "I'd say considering our history, I'm one of the only few people who can!"

"Margate, you haven't got a fucking clue what you're talking about!" Wood bellowed back at me, finally starting to lose control of his temper. I could tell because his eyes darkened so much, they were almost black.

"Oh yeah?" I screeched back at him, pushing myself forwards and taking a step towards him, an accusing finger pointed at him. "I'd say you're treating Rosemary like shit, being all hot and cold with her and doing the exact same thing you do to all girls!"

"Margate –" Wood warned, his voice now very low but I ignored him and carried on.

"Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you that you tell me you're not seeing her, then you try and kiss me and now you're acting like everything's all hunky dory between the two of you?"

"That's it, Margate!" Wood thundered, taking a few steps towards me until we were less than three inches apart and I could smell his aftershave. "Let's not forget I'm not the only one in this ménage-a-quattre, so get off your fucking high horse and stop judging me! Because, let's not forget you were just as willing to roll in the mud with me on Saturday night! As much as you might bitch and moan about me and Rose, I'm not the one with the serious boyfriend, so stay the fuck out of it."

Wood had me there, and I knew it. Even more so, the steely determination in his eyes told me he knew it too. I expelled the breath of air I had been holding in and jutted my chin out defiantly, not yet ready to concede defeat.

"You were the one who wanted to kiss me," I uttered stubbornly, my voice dropping lower so that I wasn't shouting at him anymore.

"And you were all for it," Wood replied darkly, his piercing gaze softening just a fraction.

"Hey, I told you to stop!" I cried out, affronted at what Wood was insinuating. I might have realised it a little late, but at least I realised it.

"Come on Margate, that was the most feeble excuse I have ever heard from you," Wood chuckled darkly, an eyebrow raised at my defence.

"But it worked," I uttered quietly, excuses dying on my lips.

"Did it really, Margate? Because from where I'm standing; you're yelling at me because you're jealous of Rose and I. And since you're so insistent on sticking your nose into our relationship, what I told you on Saturday was the truth. I had ended it with her. We were never serious and we were only casually seeing each other and after Saturday night she was good enough to give me another chance."

It was only then that I realised how right Wood was. I was treating him like shit for trying to make it with Rosemary and here I was yelling at him because of that stupid near kiss. He was right; I had no right to lecture him about Rosemary when I was treating my own boyfriend so abominably.

I looked away, tears forming in the corner of my eyes as I thought about Cedric and how I had nearly thrown it all away with him for some mistake with Wood. I stepped away from Wood and turned around, turning my attention on the trophies gleaming behind the glass case. I wiped the stray tears away while my back was to Wood and took a deep breath.

I turned around to face Wood once more, face solemn. "What are we going to do about this, then?"

"That's up to you, Margate. I'm not the one freaking out about this," Wood replied evenly, his voice devoid of any emotion. Wood was back to playing his cards close to his chest and I had no idea what he thought about our situation.

"Come on, you can be a little bit more helpful here, Wood!" I bit out annoyed and he sighed, uncrossing his arms and shoving them into his trouser pockets. The irritation was leaving his body as the green in his eyes softened and I let out a breath.

"Well for the sake of our friendship we have to act like Saturday night never happened because otherwise we're just gonna keep on fighting over it," Wood relented and I nodded my head. It was the right and logical thing to do and I was glad that Wood had agreed, but a part of me still felt sad at his decision.

"Yeah. It was a mistake and we shouldn't let it ruin our friendship," I uttered out and Wood nodded his head mutely at me.

"Alright," Wood spoke briskly and I nodded my head at him, unsure what exactly I was agreeing to. "Well I'm gonna head on to class now, unless there's something else you wanna yell at me?"

I rolled my eyes and bit back the retort I was about to respond with, knowing now wasn't the time to antagonise him after we had come to such a precarious truce.

Wood nodded at me once more before he opened the door and marched out of the trophy room. I sighed, shaking my head and I waited another minute or two before I followed him out of the door.

oo|oo

It seemed the matter wasn't settled as easily as I first thought, because at dinnertime it was Cedric's turn to yell at me. I had just sat down next to him, depositing my schoolbag under my feet and helping myself to mash when Cedric blurted out these words.

"Is there something going on between you and Oliver Wood?"

"What?" I asked him, spoon dangling in the air as I turned around to gaze perplexed at my boyfriend.

"I asked if there's something going with you and Wood considering what happened at lunchtime," Cedric elaborated, his voice devoid of emotion as he gazed at me, his grey eyes the colour of hard steel.

"Are you serious?" I blurted out, eyebrow rising at my boyfriend. I took in the harsh lines on Cedric's face, how his sharp cheekbones jutted out even more when he set his jaw as firmly as he was doing now. I knew I had no good answer for him, so I went on the defence.

"I can't believe you're asking me this!" The outrage was evident in my face and I gave him another disbelieving look before I returned my attention back to my dinner.

"It's a simple question, Chrissie. One which you keep on dodging," Cedric replied firmly as he dropped his fork onto his half eaten food and stared hard at me.

"Because I shouldn't have to! I'm your girlfriend, shouldn't I get a bit of trust here?"

"What the hell is going on Chrissie?" Cedric inquired, voice sharp and hard as he scrutinised me. "You think I don't realise how you two act around one another, how Wood is always at your side and how you're always talking about him? I'm not a fool and I wish you wouldn't treat me that way!"

"You're off your rocker!" I cried back affronted, frowning at Cedric as I stared at him like he had just sprouted a second head. "If you would just stop being such an asshole and trust me, then maybe you wouldn't need to ask such ridiculous questions!"

"Fine!" Cedric grit out angrily, standing up abruptly as he pulled himself off the bench we were sitting on and promptly stormed out of the Great Hall. I watched him walk away, not quite believing he had actually left me alone at the Hufflepuff table. I dropped my knife and fork back down on the table and saw that his friends and fellow Hufflepuffs were all staring at me.

Bloody Hufflepuffs for being so loyal.

oo|oo

It seemed the topic of jealousy wouldn't leave me alone. First Wood had accused me of being jealous, then my own boyfriend and it seemed that my friends wanted to add themselves to the list too.

It all started with Abby and I in the common room Saturday evening, deciding what to do with our time since there was no 7C party on and the next Hogsmeade trip wouldn't be for another week.

I was pissed off, partly because Cedric was still not talking to me and partly because the thought of Rosemary Woodhouse and Wood was still bothering me and I couldn't figure out why. They really didn't make a good couple; they were so ill suited, she was younger than him and what did they have in common? She was a fan of Gobstoppers and a member of the Astronomy Club; he was a Quidditch player and about as academically inclined as me, even if he did get consistently higher marks.

Then there's the fact that she's a year below us and we all knew that as soon as Wood graduates he's going to be snapped up by a really good Quidditch team and he'll have no time for a school-bound girlfriend.

Plus he dumped her just a week ago and she took him back so easily? Didn't she have a spine?

"Okay, enough's enough now!" Abby declared forcefully and I frowned at my best friend sitting next to me. She had been playing silently with her curly hair the entire time I had been making out my list and hadn't objected before.

"What?" I asked, throwing up my hands in the air for added emphasis. "I'm being realistic! You know everyone breaks up when they leave school and especially if you're not in the same year."

"Just stop it Chrissie!" Abby grit out annoyed at me. "You're jealous, I get it, but you have to get over their relationship. It's not yours to criticise!"

"He's my friend and I'm allowed to be sceptical, if I think he's making a mistake!" I rebutted, growing irritated with Abby's narrow-mindedness.

"This is his life, not yours. Part of being friends with someone is letting them make their own mistakes and decisions. Besides I doubt Oliver would appreciate it much if he heard you talking about his relationship like this," Abby cried out exasperated and I huffed and crossed my arms across my chest.

"Fine if you don't agree with me," I shrugged, still irritated. "But I know I'm right about this."

"And I wish you'd wake up and smell the bloody coffee and realise that you're jealous of Wood and his new girlfriend. And a little word of advice, you can't keep this up because it's not fair on either Oliver or Cedric. Sooner or later you're either gonna have to back off or make a decision," Abby declared vehemently. "Now I'm gonna go and hang out with Tess and Jackie," she added, getting up from her spot and walking out of the crowded Gryffindor common room. I sat there on my own, now also annoyed at one best friend.

I wasn't jealous; I was just being a good friend and just because she couldn't see it, didn't mean it wasn't true.

But what if she was right? Surely I couldn't be jealous of Wood. That would monumentally complicate things, as if they aren't complicated enough. And it would make me a terribly hypocritical person.

It made me think of Jackie, how jealous she was of Penelope Clearwater last week when the Head Girl beat her to the Transfiguration prize, just like she had beaten Jackie to the Head Girl position at the start of the year. Jackie didn't act like the green-eyed monster you would usually expect. Neither did she bitch about Penelope like Abby or I would have; she just let it get her down for a few days and then worked even harder to beat her the next time.

She was not at all like the rest of us girls. Take Tess; she'd been feeling neglected by Joshua because he kept choosing to hang out with his friends instead of her. So what did she do, but have a yelling match at him to make herself feel better.

I suppose we all dealt with jealousy differently, so maybe Abby was seeing something that I couldn't.

"Shit!" I said aloud to no one in particular. This was doubly bad for me, because not only would that mean that I was jealous of Wood, but I'd have to apologise to Abby. With no idea how to resolve the former I pulled myself off the sofa in resignation, and decided to get the latter over and done with.

oo|oo

_Jealousy; the biggest sin of them all_

_Thou shalt not covet. How true and apt this old saying might be, but how many of us actually follow this sage piece of advice. It is one thing to be told to not be jealous of the lives and loves of others, but I wonder how many people actually take this to heart and follow what the Ten Commandments preach. _

_Jealousy is a funny sin at the best of times. It can reduce you to nothing more than a green-eyed monster at the sight of another girl, or boy; make you act like a crazy banshee at the sight that someone else has what you want and completely skewer your sense of perception in the process. Whatever they might want to say about the six other deadly sins, in my opinion jealousy is the most dangerous of them all. It might be all well and good to state that one shouldn't covet something that isn't your own; but no one ever mentioned how destructive it can be and that is something you need to learn first hand. Of all the emotions we possess, this one is the most dangerous in so many ways. _

_That's the beauty of jealousy; it comes in so many forms. There is the neighbour that is jealous of the other neighbour's house, the man who wants the wife of another, and the child that is jealous of the life of a peer. At some point in our lives we have all felt jealous of someone else. That is a fact of life and that is something we have to overcome. _

_But did anyone ever tell you that jealousy is nothing more than a symptom of an inner insecurity, or a lack of self-worth? Well it's true and all it does is paint a nice big bulls-eye on your biggest insecurity, highlighting it for the entire world to see. _

_Sure the grass always looks greener on the other side, but what happens when you're actually over there and see all the blemishes in the lawn that you couldn't see before. Would you still be jealous then? But that is the thing, we never realise this fact and that is what makes jealousy so dangerous. It drives us through anger and other irrational thoughts and fears and causes us to do things that we normally never would. But isn't that's what we do when we feel our security threatened?_

_Wrath, sloth, greed, pride and the rest of the sins might be toxic to a healthy and stable life, but they've got nothing on envy. Jealousy has the ability to turn a mild-mannered person into a psychotic rage at the sight of what they desire. I've seen first-hand how it can turn people into completely different beings and it's not a pretty sight to see._

_So how do we deal with jealousy, or envy? I wish I knew for it would make my life so much simpler, but that's the thing. We just have to live with it and hope it doesn't destroy us in the process. _

_Until then,_

_Calliope,_

_1994_

oo|oo

"Chrissie, I'm really sorry for being such an ass!" Cedric implored and I gazed up into his steel grey eyes with relief and surprise to see Cedric accosting me in the corridor so early on a Tuesday morning. Abby, Tess and Jackie by my side exchanged glances before wishing Cedric a good morning and walking on down to the Great Hall. I hung back and gazed at my boyfriend, who was looking slightly dishevelled from sleep and I grinned at him as I took a step towards him.

"I'm sorry for being such a bitch to you on Friday," I replied, ducking my head down, hands in my robe pockets as I gazed at my shoes. My new Keds that I got at the start of the year were quite badly scuffed and worn by March, showing the wear they received this year. Kinda like my heart…

"You had every right to be angry at me for being such an asshole to you," Cedric uttered urgently and I smiled up at him. He was mirroring my body position, for his hands were in his trouser pockets too.

"No, I was a bitch and you had every right to be pissed off at me. I am sorry!"

"So am I. Now can we put this behind us because I'd really like to kiss you," Cedric elaborated and I grinned at him as he wound his arms around my waist, pulled me towards him and planted a very soft kiss on my lips. We pulled apart after a minute and I sighed, gazing up at him with a languid smile on my face.

"We should fight more often if that's how you're gonna make it up to me," I joked, as I placed my hands upon his chest and grinned up at him. His grey eyes were sparkling with mirth and he chuckled away to himself.

"And I haven't properly made it up to you yet," he winked, his voice dropping a timbre or two.

"We're in the middle of a corridor," I admonished him, swatting at his chest and he laughed, letting go of me in the process.

"Well I mean it. I'm gonna make it up to you for acting the way I did. I never should have gotten jealous over your friendship with Wood," Cedric spoke, taking my school bag and slinging it over his shoulder as he reached for my hand. I easily entwined my fingers with his as we proceeded down the corridor towards the Great Hall and breakfast.

"You know you've nothing to worry about. Wood and I may be friends, but you're my boyfriend and if I had to choose, I would choose you!" I implored, wanting to make it crystal clear to Cedric that he had nothing to worry about. Whatever little niggling bits of jealousy that I might still feel towards Wood and Rosemary, they were nothing compared to what Cedric and I had.

oo|oo

It had been almost a week since the fight with Wood and we had barely spoken since. So, in a way, I should have expected Wood to accost me, as he did that dinnertime on Tuesday.

I was already late to dinner, as I rushed into the nearly empty common room that evening. I was in the middle of throwing my schoolbag off my shoulder and dumping my robe on top of it, when Wood made his way towards me from where he had been languishing at the tables.

"I need to talk to you." The words were out of his mouth before I could even say hello to him. I noticed that he had already changed out of his school uniform as he was currently sporting a light grey jumper that really flattered his physique. But I had more important things to focus on.

"Can you make it quick because I'm already late to dinner," I replied hurriedly, loosening my restrictive tie and dumping it on the pile on the floor.

"Margate," his voice pleaded, and I paused in my actions as I looked up at the Scot in front of me. "Please."

That one word got me and I mutely nodded my head, acquiescing to his request.

"What's this about?" I asked hesitantly, but Wood shook his head and grabbed my hand as he led me up to the boys' dormitory.

"Wood?" I pressed on, pulling back so that he came to a stop.

He turned around and then sighed, glancing around the common room and taking in the scattered students before he answered.

"I wanna talk to you in private and not down here. You okay with that?" he said quietly, an eyebrow rose at me and I nodded my head.

Why was I making such a fuss about going up to the boys' dormitory? I'd been up there loads over the years because of Ethan and Aiden. After all I had decided that Wood was just another friend, like the boys, but I couldn't help feeling this felt more intimate and private than hanging out with them. It didn't help that Wood was holding my hand. I should just let go, but I couldn't bring myself to.

When we reached the dormitory Wood finally let go of my hand and I stood there awkwardly in the middle of the messy room, clasping my arms around my waist as Wood deftly closed the door behind me. He made his way to the bed I supposed was his, throwing off his shoes in the process. I followed him, feeling even more uncomfortable with every step I took until Wood started chuckling as he flopped down on his bed, resting his back against the headboard.

"Sit down, Margate. You look like a frightened puppy about to be kicked there," Wood snorted and I perched myself on the end of the bed by his feet. He'd removed his shoes and his feet smelled slightly, but I didn't have the courage to tell him in here. I fidgeted with my hands, staring at nothing in particular but drinking in my surroundings as Wood watched me for a minute. I was feeling more and more uncomfortable with every minute and I wished he would just get to what he wanted to say to me so I could flee back down to the common room.

"Margate, are we okay?" Wood asked thoughtfully, his forehead creased into a frown and I gazed back at him, perplexed.

"How do you mean?" I replied cautiously, dropping my hands into my lap as I scrutinised his features, but they weren't giving much away.

"Are we good after last week, because I'd say our friendship took a bit of a nosedive after our little spat," Wood said darkly, then sobered up and added in a more serious voice. "What can I do to make it right with you again?"

A smile broke through as I looked at Wood's despondent face and my heart melted a little at his thoughtfulness. It was such a Wood thing to do, to take the blame for a problem and want to fix it, and I was beyond touched by it.

My hand reached out and I squeezed his, as I uttered slowly, "It's not your fault, Wood."

"Then how come you've been avoiding me for the last week?" His eyes were boring into my own, begging for an answer and I smiled sadly at him as I withdrew my hand from his.

"Of course I want us to be friends, but I'm finding it a bit hard and I owe it to Cedric to be a better girlfriend, considering what nearly happened," I spoke heavily, looking away and staring at the Pride of Portree poster Wood had tacked up over his headboard.

"So this is about Diggory?" Wood replied gruffly and I sighed as I looked out of the window, taking in the view from their window. It should be apt that they got a good view of the Quidditch pitch.

"No, this is about my boyfriend and let's not fight over this again," I sighed and Wood relented, letting out a breath as he threw his arms behind his head.

"Alright, then let me help you," Wood spoke and I frowned as I glanced back at him, unsure what he was talking about.

"With Cedric?" I queried, not quite believing his words.

Wood sighed and added, "Yes, with Diggory." Was it just my imagination or were those words hard to speak for Wood? I scrutinised his face once more, but it was as impassive as ever.

"I appreciate the thought, but there's nothing you can really help me with," I replied solemnly.

Wood ignored my answer though and added quickly, "It's his birthday in a few days isn't it? Abby told me you're having some problems finding a good present for him."

The concept that Wood knew Cedric's birthday and he was speaking to Abby about me was a strange one, but I ignored it and replied to his question.

"Yeah. What do you get a boy who says he has everything he wants already?" I sighed, shaking my head at my boyfriend for being so infuriatingly unhelpful. I had been trying to find the perfect present for the last two weeks and with only days to go it was looking rather desperate.

"Well you can always ask me for help, Margate. I am a bloke and since Diggory and I are both into the same things I might have more of an insight than you will," Wood shrugged and I nodded my head at him, a smile forming on my face.

"Okay then," I said, pulling my legs up towards me as I faced Wood and we started going through ideas.

The majority of them were full of nonsense, which turned into a conversation of what would be our fantasy Quidditch team to own. Not a lot of it was useful help, but I was enjoying it too much just sitting and chatting to Wood. A good half hour later we had sketched out a few good ideas and with a loudly grumbling stomach I decided to leave. I got up and Wood too straightened up on his bed as he eyed me with a languid smile on his face.

"Well I'd better go and write a few of those letters if I want to get it before Friday," I remarked and Wood nodded his head, clasping his hands behind his head once more.

"You do that Margate, and let me know if you need a hand with one of them," he replied and I nodded my head at him.

"Thank you," I said simply, standing at the edge of his bed and staring down at Wood.

"What for?" Wood queried, stretching on the bed as he extended his arms and I smiled even more at him.

"For being such a good friend," I elaborated and Wood nodded his head, a smile forming on his face that matched my own. I bent down and placed a kiss on his cheek as a thank-you. I straightened up to see a look of wonderment on his face before the expression disappeared and the usual smile returned.

"Don't worry Margate, you're not gonna get rid of me that easily," Wood chuckled and I assented my head, a wide smile on my face as I turned around and walked out of the dormitory.

oo|oo

By the time Friday and Cedric's birthday finally came along, the present had been found, carefully wrapped up and was sitting patiently in my school bag, ready to be given to the birthday boy. It was a pity that I couldn't be more patient myself, but fate or the Professors kept conspiring against us so almost the whole day went by without me seeing Cedric.

By the last class, I'd snuck out early under the pretence of seeing McGonagall and raced down the corridors towards the History of Magic classroom where Cedric had his last class. I stopped outside the closed door, breath panting and when I saw that the corridor on both ends was empty I knew I wasn't too late. I grinned to myself and pulled the present out of my bag, leaned against the opposite wall and waited for class to end.

A couple of minutes later the bell rang through the corridors signalling the end of lessons and I straightened up as students swarmed out of the open doors into the corridor.

Cedric's dark mop appeared next to some of his Hufflepuff friends and I waved at him, watching as his face lit up upon seeing me. He said something more to his mates and slung his bag over his shoulder as he walked towards me.

"Happy birthday!" I beamed at him as I placed a long kiss on his lips. Cedric wrapped his arms around me and kissed me back eagerly, until we stopped when we both realised we were still in the middle of a very public corridor.

"I got you a present," I said, pulling the wrapped present out from behind my back and watched as his eyes widened to saucers and he tore into the wrapping like a little kid at Christmas. He pulled out the Seeker's jersey from the Wimbourne Wasps, that I managed to get signed by Artemus Potts himself and Cedric stared at it in awe.

"Wow, Chrissie! I can't believe you got this for me!" Thank you!" he exclaimed, utterly lost for words as he cupped my face and kissed me in delight. I grinned as he let go of my face and chuckled to myself as he stared at the jersey with reverence in his hands. He quickly dumped his bag at his feet and yanked off his jumper before he put the jersey on over his shirt, that stare of wonderment still on his face.

"I put a permanent marking spell on that signature, so it shouldn't wear off," I added to him and Cedric kissed me once more, because it seemed to be the only way he could convey his thanks to me.

"I've got bad news for you," I began and had to repress the laugh as I saw his face drop slightly, as if I was about to wrench the jersey out of his hands. "Since I'm a fan of the Arrows and you're a fan of the Wasps, I don't think we could ever make it as a couple. Their rivalry is just too fierce."

"Oh," Cedric replied, still a little dumbfounded and I laughed lightly.

"Relax, Ced. I'm joking!" I giggled, patting his arm.

"This has got to be the best present ever. How did you get it?" he inquired as he shoved his jumper into his overflowing bag and slung the backpack onto one shoulder once more.

"You're not the only one with Quidditch connections," I replied cryptically, that grin still on my face.

"But this must have cost you a fortune!" Cedric exclaimed as his face turned serious. "I can't accept this."

"Oh don't get so noble," I admonished him sternly, a frown on my face. "It didn't cost me that much and you're keeping it!"

"Chrissie-" Cedric began, turning his full attention on me, but I butted in.

"No this is not up for debate, Ced," I told him seriously. "This is your birthday present, so please do me the favour and enjoy it!"

Cedric's face relaxed and he nodded his head before smiling at me once more. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and then said excitedly.

"Come on, let's go find my friends. I wanna show off my jersey!" he said giddily and I laughed in reply as we made our way down the emptying corridor.

oo|oo

The Saturday came bright and clear as another Hogsmeade weekend came around and by early afternoon Cedric's friends and I were sitting at a round table in the back of the Three Broomsticks ordering his first round of legal drinks. What had started off with just one round turned into another and then another after that, so that by the time 5 p.m. hit we were all pretty drunk. Cedric being the birthday boy was the worst of course, but that might have had more to do with the fact we kept plying him with double shots of Firewhiskey when he wasn't paying attention.

Thankfully too, Madame Rosmerta didn't seem to mind or rat us out to the Professors, so we were left to our own devices getting quite drunk in the middle of the afternoon. Alcoholism was sure to follow if we kept this up.

"Alright, who wants another drink?" One of the boys, Jeremy, called out as he stood up and slammed his hands onto the table to get all our attention. I gazed up at him and shook my head. I was tipsy enough to know anymore and I would just make a fool of myself, and frankly it was a bit early to be getting so drunk in the afternoon.

"Ced?" Jeremy inquired, raising an eyebrow at my boyfriend next to me, but Cedric shook his head, his gaze unfocused. All the shots seemed to be making him rather dazed and happy in his own little bubble, plus he stopped caring about his drinks when he discovered my legs next to him a few minutes ago. He was currently more interested in trailing his fingers up and down my upper thighs, playing with the denim fabric of my jeans. Thankfully I had decided not to wear a skirt today or it would look so much worse.

"Righteo then," Jeremy declared to no-one in particular and marched over to the bar, no doubt to try and charm a couple of free drinks out of Madame Rosmerta. I watched him walk away with a chuckle, suppressing a laugh when I saw him bump into a stool on the way there.

At that moment Abby, Ethan, Tess, Jackie and Wood made their way into the crowded pub and head straight towards the bar. Abby and Wood were peering around the room, no doubt looking for an empty table, while the rest ordered their drinks. When Abby spotted me, she waved at me and I returned the gesture with a grin on my face. Wood's eyes followed Abby's gaze and when he spotted me with Cedric and his mates, he sent a small smile my direction, which I returned. Abby by this point disappeared to grab them a table and Wood's gaze shifted from me to Cedric sitting next to me wearing his new Wasps jersey I had gotten for his birthday.

"Do you mind if we steal Cedric off you tomorrow, Chrissie?" Harvey, the sixth year Hufflepuff that Abby and I used to hang out with in Herbology asked me. It took me a moment to register he was talking to me, for my attention was still on Wood.

"Chrissie?" Harvey tried again, waving a hand in front of me to get my attention.

"Huh?" I replied, pulling my gaze away from Wood at the bar and focused them on the boy sitting opposite me.

"Do you mind if we steal Cedric tomorrow, or did you have something planned with him?"

"No, we've got no plans so go right on ahead," I replied with a smile. "What do you have planned anyway?"

"Ah, that my dear is for me to know, and you to find out," he spoke mischievously, his brown eyes twinkling in delight. I snorted and shook my head at the boy. I had a feeling I didn't really want to know what they were up to. Undoubtedly it involved some male bonding ritual and lots of idiocy. Instead I picked up my nearly empty bottle of cherry ale and took another swig as Harvey tried to engage Cedric in another drinking game.

My gaze went back up to the bar and I saw that my friends had finally managed to get a drink as Ethan led the way through the packed pub to somewhere Abby had found to sit. I inclined my head at Wood and he returned the gesture, nodding his head at Cedric and the jersey he was wearing. An eyebrow went up at that and even though we were quite far away from each other and he hadn't said a word to me, I knew what he was referring to.

I glanced quickly to Cedric next to me and grinned, nodding my head and Wood let out a small smile.

I mouthed 'thank you' to him and Wood nodded his head once at me, taking a sip of the Goblin beer in his hand. He gave me an incline of his head and then followed Tess and Jackie to where Ethan and Abby were already sitting at a very small table near the entrance. I smiled to myself and then tried once more to pay attention to what the boys were currently discussing with exuberance.

oo|oo

I refused to let jealousy get the best of me.

That was my mantra for the evening as I was sitting alone at a desk in study hall, trying my hardest to finish my Astronomy essay, but the couple sitting one table up from me kept pulling my attention away.

I would sigh, grit my teeth, take a deep breath and then try to go back to the books scattered in front of me, but I was having no luck. The topic was just too boring to focus on for long, and despite how much I kept telling myself Wood and Rosemary weren't that interesting, I couldn't help but stare at them for the last hour. They had their backs to me, so I could quite unashamedly watch their interactions without getting caught out by the couple themselves. Anyone else I didn't care about, which might explain why no one wanted to sit at my table. I had flashed dark looks at any student who even considered sitting across from me and interrupting my view of the couple.

Not that they were acting like much of a couple. They were sitting next to one another, but still far enough away from one another that only their knees were touching. Her strawberry blonde hair kept falling in front of her eyes, so she would put it behind her ear and I watched Wood observe this from the corner of his eye.

I sighed and looked away, no longer wanting to watch the couple happy in their own little bubble. I had had enough of shy smiles and long glances between the pair to make me want to hurl. I tried to suppress the queasy feeling it left me with, and be happy for Wood because he was my friend, but I couldn't.

I wondered if he smiled at her as serenely as he would when he was talking to me and whether he would play with the back of his neck like he sometimes did when I had him stumped.

I hated it how Wood would occasionally brush her arms with his fingertips and how she would look up, a surprised smile on her face.

But mostly it bothered me that I kept comparing every action he made with her with how he was with me. Did she make him smile as widely as I did; was he as relaxed around her, as he sometimes would be with me? What did she know about him anyway?

I had coached him back to life after that disastrous defeat against Hufflepuff back in October, saw him at his lowest and when we were in the Forbidden Forest during that lightning storm I saw his fear. We had a bond that defied the odds and even our disastrous attempt at a relationship. That had to be worth more than a few shy smiles and brushes of the arm he could get from her.

The whole thing was starting to drive me a little mad, so I pulled my gaze away from the parchment in front of me and tried to focus on something else.

It didn't help that when I glanced up at them again Wood was tucking that unruly strand of her hair behind her ear and I grit my teeth in annoyance. She should just cut off that damn lock if it was being so uncooperative, I ranted in my head.

"Wow, what's gotten into you?" Tess declared loudly, snapping me out of my thoughts and making me jump in the process. I glanced up at her as she slid into the seat across from me, blocking my view of Wood and Rosemary.

"Nothing," I replied surly and Tess raised an eyebrow at me.

"Doesn't seem like nothing to me," she retorted, dumping her school bag on the table and fixing me with an earnest frown. "I'd say you were contemplating how to dismember someone with that glare, but maybe that's just me and you're always this sunny,' she said sarcastically and I rolled my eyes at her.

I glanced once more at Wood and Rosemary and when I saw that they were holding hands, I dropped my quill onto my parchment and wrenched my eyes away once again.

Tess was far too astute for her own good, for she turned around and spotted Wood and Rosemary, letting out a knowing 'Ahh' in the process.

"What's that meant to mean?" I spoke annoyed and Tess turned her head around once more to give me a knowing smile.

"As you said, nothing," she replied serenely with an angelic smile on her face.

"What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were meant to be hanging out with Joshua," I remarked and Tess just shrugged her shoulders as she began pulling books out of her bag.

"I was and then I dumped him because I had enough of sharing him with his friends," Tess replied without a care in the world and my annoyance at Tess and Wood was temporarily forgotten.

"Oh I'm sorry Tess," I said softly, reaching my hand out over the table to grasp hers and give it a squeeze.

"Don't be. I don't share and I've always been upfront about it," Tess said, pulling out her half-finished Astronomy essay and opening her ink well.

"How did Joshua take it?" I asked, not quite wrapping my head around the fact that Tess was so calm about it. She had been going out with his since November after all. Four months was a lifetime in school.

"He called me jealous and I told him I don't do jealousy either. It's his loss either way," she shrugged and I frowned at my friend across from me.

"Yeah, but surely you feel bad about it too. I mean you guys were going out for four months," I said, trying to catch her eye, but she was instead focusing on her schoolwork, a first for Tess in my books.

"What's there to feel bad about? It's over and at some point you just gotta move on," Tess replied pointedly, but if she was trying to say something else with that statement it went over my head. I frowned at my friend, but decided to let the matter slide for now. She wasn't willing to tell me either way. Tess had far too many Daddy issues in her and I knew from experience that forcing her to talk about them was never a good idea. It was best just to wait until she was ready.

In the meantime I would have to get back to my essay and try my hardest to ignore Wood and Rosemary.

Fat chance of that ever happening!

oo|oo

It's funny; no matter how great a friendship you might have with your ex, inevitably you'll have a moment where you bump into them while with your new boyfriend and it'll be as awkward as hell. It doesn't matter if you're the best of friends with your ex and it has been years since you went out, it'll still sneak up on you, you mark my words.

Yep, and it happened to me Monday evening in what had to be the narrowest corridor in Hogwarts to boot. Absolutely bloody great!

Cedric and I were making our way down to the library using one of the shortcuts, just giggling away and in our own little world when Wood came upon us in one of the tiny, dark corridors that connect two hidden staircases. Before I even realised it, he was standing in front of us blocking our way.

I moved to the left to let him pass, only to have Wood do the same, so I moved to the right, only for Wood to repeat the action. We tried this for another three times, each time with increasing awkwardness. I giggled to break the uncomfortable tension that suddenly surrounded us and at the hilarity if this encounter in the dark corridor.

Wood had an amused smile on his face and he had started to fidget with the hairs on the back of his neck like he always done when he was feeling flustered.

"Come here Chrissie, let wood get past us," Cedric spoke as he wrapped an arm around my waist and drew me close to him to let Wood pass.

The laughter died on Wood's lips as he raised an eyebrow at me and Cedric and his emerald eyes zeroed in on Cedric's hands around my waist. I sighed, wanting to roll my eyes at Cedric's possessiveness. He was acting like Wood was going to snatch me away from him. I found the whole thing utterly ridiculous, but then that's the nature of jealousy.

Cedric hasn't been the same since he accused me of having something with Wood. Though he'd apologised and I'd forgiven him, there was still a tension between us, like unwelcome guest. And it sat there because of Cedric's jealousy.

I couldn't give out too much to him for it, because only Wood and I knew how justified Cedric was in feeling like that. I hadn't been a saint either, but if the relationship had any chance of surviving, we would have to move past it. I only hoped that Cedric's jealousy wouldn't win out before then.

"Come on Chrissie," Cedric uttered, breaking me out of my reverie and I realised that I had been staring at Wood while lost in my thoughts. I nodded my head as Wood moved past us and with the light pressure Cedric placed on we walked on. I said a meek 'Bye' to Wood, as Cedric and I walked on down the dark corridor.

oo|oo

I loved disco. Yes the decade wasn't exactly known for the best music around and the people did look a little ridiculous with those stupid white suits and large Afros, but there's something so fun and catchy about the music. It doesn't have much of a point to it, but sometimes you just need something to dance along to.

And that's exactly what I was doing on Tuesday evening, sometime after nine in the evening all by myself in the disused Transfiguration classroom.

"_Oh, yes Sir, I can Boogie, but I need a certain song_," I sang along to the song, to no one in particular, dancing around in a circle, hands in the air, hair flying everywhere as I pulled a few classic disco moves and twirled around on the spot.

"What are you doing here all alone in the classroom?" a voice called out and I spun around, hand on my heart as he had just given me the shock of a lifetime.

"Wood, what the hell?" I demanded, embarrassment flooding my cheeks as I grew bright red at having been caught dancing by myself.

"Relax Margate," Wood replied quickly, holding his hands out in a placating stance. "I was just asking what you're doing here all alone dancing in a classroom. The Professors would have a shit-fit if they knew you were here all on your own," he said, standing in the open doorway, hands in his pockets and his face filled with mirth.

"What are you doing here, Wood?" I asked him, crossing my arms across my chest, still feeling quite awkward that Wood had caught me dancing on my own.

"The common room was a bit boring and I needed a walk. Tell me, where does this love of Muggle music come from?" Wood inquired, as he pushed himself off the doorframe and slowly walked into the classroom. He dug his hands into his trouser pockets as I leaned my bum against the table where the wireless radio sat on.

In truth, I was still unnerved and a little wary of spending time alone with Wood, especially seeing our track record with empty classrooms like this one. But I was determined not to show it, so I answered his question.

"My aunt's partner is a Muggle and a huge fan of Muggle music. He took me to my first gig when I was six and he raised me on it. He could never really experience the Wizarding world, but his world of music was so much more magical to me," I replied, smiling at the memories it evoked.

"I never knew you had a Muggle uncle," Wood remarked simply and I nodded my head at him.

"He and I are very close," I smiled, crossing my legs in front of me as I made myself more comfortable. I smoothed down the knee length skirt I was wearing and looked back up at Wood, who was wearing one of those surprised looks on his face, like he had just discovered something new and highly interesting. It made me feel more uncomfortable under his gaze and I was once again keenly aware that we were alone in a classroom together.

"So what were those silly dance moves you were doing there?" Wood asked interested, breaking me out of my trance and I snorted at his cluelessness.

"It's disco Wood!" I rolled my eyes, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and when I saw the puzzled look on his face, I sighed and added.

"Merlin, Wood. For our friendship to really work, you need to take a crash course in Muggle music. In case you haven't noticed it yet, I'm a little obsessed with it."

"You don't say, Margate," Wood remarked sarcastically, rolling his eyes at me.

I ignored Wood's response and turned around when _Finally_ by Ce Ce Peniston, a favourite song of mine came on the radio. I darted towards the table and turned up the volume as I began dancing along to the beat.

_Finally, you came along. The way I feel about you it just can't be wrong,_ the radio blared out and I danced along to the song, twirling on the spot so that my skirt fanned out around me. I done a few steps to the side and clapped my hands to the beat. I let the song take over and move my shoulders to the beat as I went from the point to an electric slide. When I turned around again, I saw that Wood had leaned himself against the table and was watching me with a smile on his face.

_But now you've come along and brightened up my world. In my heart I feel it I'm that special kind of girl._

I grinned back at him and danced towards Wood, holding out my hands to see him eyeing them with terror in his eyes. I grabbed a hold of his hands and pulled him out onto my makeshift dance floor with me as I continued dancing and pulled him along for the ride.

"I don't know how to dance," Wood uttered out, apprehension evident in his voice.

"Nonsense, everyone knows how to dance. What's so difficult about it, you put one foot in front of the other and shake your body," I laughed in response, dancing around a stock still Wood while laughing lightly at his fear.

"I'm not kidding you, Margate," Wood replied, an eyebrow arched at me, which only made me sigh. The boy was being difficult again.

"You're telling me you've never had the team perform dance moves to limber them up?" I remarked surprised and this time Wood sighed while I rolled my eyes.

"Oh stop being such a prude and join in. For once in your life just let go and have fun!" I admonished him and then started performing the hustle around him. "Come on, I'll show you a few easy steps even you can do."

I started him off on the easy moves like the point and the bump and slide and after a while even Wood got into it, sliding from side to side with a serious expression on his face. He was so uncoordinated and we were both out of sync with one another, often bumping into the other or accidentally stepping on someone's foot but most of all we were both having fun. The music was infectious and I saw with a smile that even Wood was letting the beat flow through his bones.

He was particularly enjoying twirling me around the spot with a constant hand on my lower back so I wouldn't loose my balance and slowly towards the end of the song he was even leading me in the dance.

_Finally_ ended and the last notes of the song blended into _Boogie Wonderland_, but Wood and I kept dancing. By the second song we had found a rhythm for ourselves and I would shuffle to the side, take a side step and clap my hands. Wood held me around my waist and twirled me around, before bringing me into his strong arms again. I was flushed and quite red in the face from the exertion and I saw that even Wood's grey tee was clinging to his body and a few drops of perspiration were sitting on the top of his forehead. But neither of us minded. I was having too much fun, just being carefree and dancing to some great music to mind, and by the looks of it, the serene look on Wood's face said the same.

He spun me one more time and then dipped me low, which made me squeal as my head nearly touched the floor. My skirt flew upwards and it was only Wood's quick response in pulling me back up towards him that stopped me flashing him accidentally. I landed in his arms, very close to his chest giggling from the move and Wood too was smiling at me. I turned around and took a few steps forward, Wood's hands firmly on my hips as we performed the hustle.

We spun to the side and clapped our hands in sync as Wood gave me a nod and reached for my hips once more. This time I was prepared and he lifted me into the air as I raised my hands up high. Slowly I slid down again, until I ended up in his arms, my back pressed closely against his body. He took a hold of one of my hands as I took a step forwards and then spun me around so that we were facing one another once more.

The song began to die down as the volume was lowered and the radio DJ announced the previous song before calling out the next one by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. The tune changed dramatically as a slow song came on the radio and Wood slowly let go of me as I took step back, a little unsure. The tune was quite romantic and I fidgeted with my arms as the lyrics suddenly became very clear.

_Still here we are, both of us lonely. Longing for shelter for all that we see._

I glanced up at Wood to see that his arms were by his sides again and I hoped he felt as awkward as I did. But he didn't for he took a step towards me and this time he was the one to hold out a hand.

"Can I have this dance?" he asked and I raised an eyebrow at him as I looked at his outstretched hand for a moment. I look back up at the hand's owner to see there was only a simple request shining in his eyes and I slowly nodded my hand as I placed my hand into his. He pulled me towards him and wrapped a hand around my waist and I placed my spare one on his shoulder. At first we danced very formally to the song, shuffling from side to side.

"Come on Margate, stop being such a prude," Wood remarked with a raised eyebrow and I glanced surprised up at him to see he was using my line against me. I laughed at the irony and inclined my head at him; he had me there. I relaxed a little and Wood pulled me in closer, so close I was almost touching his chest. We swayed to the music, more enjoying each other's presence than dancing properly. Wood was leading, and I let him direct me across the empty floor, too caught up in the moment.

"You're not such a bad dancer after all Oliver," I remarked lightly and Wood looked down at me with a light smile gracing his features as he chuckled at me.

"Could you possibly say that with more surprise in your voice?" he teased and I swatted at his shoulder, trying to hide my returning smile.

"No, that was meant as a genuine compliment," I remarked and I felt the rumble of Wood's laugh from his proximity.

"Then I'll take it as such, Chrissie," he replied and I smiled into his chest as I leaned my head against his shoulder blade and enjoyed the last of the song.

"See, you and I can hang out alone without anything happening," he remarked, but I wasn't paying attention as I was listening to the words of the song.

_We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow? We've got tonight babe, why don't you stay?_

"Hmmm?" I responded, not looking up from where I was gently resting my head against his shoulder.

"We're gonna be fine Chrissie. You really don't need to worry so much about us," Wood remarked and I smiled as I slowly pulled my head up.

"I know Oliver," I stated, surprised that he had read my mood so easily. It was something that had been on my mind for the last couple of weeks; heck it was something I worried about just half an hour ago. Somehow Oliver always knew what to say. It really shouldn't surprise me as much as it still did, though it was a nice feeling.

_We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow? Let's make it last, let's find a way. Turn out the light; come take my hand now. We've got tonight babe, why don't you stay?_

He took a step away from me as he took my hand he was still holding and twirled me around. I let out a laugh and spun to a stop as the last beats of the song died and we were left standing in the middle of the empty classroom completely content with one another.

Oliver was right; we were going to be fine. No matter what happened between us, we would always be all right because I had faith in him and he had faith in me.

oo|oo

"I'm worried about Chrissie and Oliver," Ethan declared as we walked down the crowded corridor towards our final class of the day – Charms.

"How so?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at Ethan next to me. We paused for moment to let a gaggle of third year girls past as they sauntered in between Ethan and I. I paused to send a glare after them before we resumed our conversation.

"Come on Abby, you telling me you haven't noticed how close Oliver and Chrissie have become these last two months?" Ethan frowned at me and I sighed, sending an exasperated look his direction.

"Of course I have! I'd say even Filch is aware that those two want to jump each other's bones. But what's your point?" I asked him. We turned a corner and made our way down the hidden staircase, going down the steps in a single file so as to miss the trick steps.

"Well she's got a boyfriend for one, and if we've learned anything about those two is that it never ends well. Just look at the last time," Ethan shrugged and I stayed silent for a minute or two as I thought over what he said.

"Besides, I doubt any of us want to have to choose between them again," Ethan snorted.

"You've a point. Although, I think it's different with them now. There seems to be a genuine friendship there. You see it when they're not squabbling and when they think no-one is watching them," I mused aloud and Ethan pulled the tapestry aside that hid the staircase from the corridor behind it. He waited for me to pass before he slipped through himself and let the raggedy old fabric fall back into place.

"What about Diggory though?" Ethan asked as he appeared next to me again and I shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know. I really like the guy, but it's not my relationship so it's not my place to say anything," I replied and Ethan nodded his head.

"Either way, I hope they know what they're doing," Ethan remarked off-handed and I smirked at him as we walked down the second floor corridor.

At that moment the object of our conversation, one Oliver Wood came racing down the corridor. He sprinted past us clutching a scroll of parchment in one hand and laughing away to himself.

Ethan and I turned and watched him sprint down the other way before he turned a corner and we lost sight of him.

"Wonder what that was all about," Ethan quipped, perplexed. We got our answer a moment later when I spotted Chrissie charging down the corridor like a raging bull, her face contorted in fury.

"Oliver James Wood! You give me back that parchment this instant!" she yelled, barrelling down the corridor after a gleeful Oliver.

"Well there's your answer," I grinned, watching my certifiably mad best friend chase after the bloke in question.

"And my earlier question still stands. What about Diggory?" Ethan replied pensively, frowning as he watched Chrissie turn the corner and disappear too.

"Yeah, he's got nothing to worry about," I replied sarcastically. Ethan eyed me warily and I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Come on, I wanna see how this one ends," I elaborated. Ethan and I made our way after our two best friends, who would probably try and kill each other or snog each other to bits, depending on the mood.

We sprinted after them, turned the corner and loped after our two best friends. We finally caught up with them outside the Ancient Runes classroom.

The first thing I saw was that Chrissie had jumped onto Oliver's back in an attempt to wrench the scroll of parchment out of his hands. The second thing I saw was that Oliver was laughing so hard he was shaking and looked like he might throw Chrissie off in the process, much like a bucking horse.

"They're bloody mental!" Ethan exclaimed, not quite believing the sight in front of him if his flabbergasted state was anything to go by.

I just grinned and uttered, "That's my girl" as I watched the crowd follow those two with a mixture of wonderment and glee.

I knew what Ethan was worrying about, but at the same time he had to see they were made for each other.

oo|oo

I had no idea why I found myself waiting outside the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom for Chrissie on that Thursday afternoon. I just knew I had to see her after the bad day I had today. Just the sight of her smile and those dimples of hers would be enough to cheer up my wearied spirits.

And that was why I stood and waited for the seventh year Gryffindors to finish their class with Lupin.

The bell rang in the corridors around me and I snapped out of my trance as I anxiously waited for the Gryffindors and Slytherins to come swarming out of the classroom in front of me. It took a few minutes before I spotted her dirty blonde hair, that maddeningly curly hair that had more mess than style to it. Her school jumper was tied around her waist and her tie was askew as she walked out of the classroom, carrying her books against her chest and chatting animatedly to Oliver Wood.

They were removed from the rest of her friends, caught in a secret joke only the two knew of as they laughed to themselves. Snippets of their conversation floated over towards me, but I could barely make them out above the din.

"I still don't understand how you could screw up a Stunner. We learned that in our fourth year!" Chrissie chuckled at Wood, with a raised eyebrow and a teasing quality to her voice. She swiped her messy hair away from her right eye and grinned at Wood next to her. He looked abashed, but was grinning back at her, shrugging his shoulders in the process.

Wood's response was lost to me in the throng, not that I cared much about what his reply was. I watched the two interacting, my suspicions about those two still on the forefront of my mind.

"Oh you can't say poor Percy!" Chrissie laughed loudly, her voice ringing through the crowded corridor as she shook her head at something Wood must have said. "He's an ass and that was Karma through and through. Besides, the look on his face just before Flint actually managed to cast that Stunner was priceless. I wish I had a camera for that moment. I might just buy a Pensieve for that memory alone!"

"I don't think anyone believed that Flint could actually cast a successful Stunner. It was pretty priceless," Wood remarked with a chuckle, and this just made Chrissie laugh even harder, a hand on her side. She swiped away a stray tear and then grinned up at Wood once more, as the two shared in their own joke for a few seconds more.

My eyes scanned over every look and body movement they made to see if my hunch had been right. From the outside, nothing looked amiss with those two. They were standing next to each other, but they weren't touching and Wood seemed to be respecting her private space, for once.

But I could see how Wood's eyes would linger on Chrissie when she wasn't looking at him and I was certain I wasn't imagining it when I saw that Chrissie was smiling and glowing more in his presence. She looked so comfortable and at ease in her body and his presence it sent a pang of regret through me.

Their body language also mirrored each other. Chrissie was standing facing Wood, and her feet were facing towards him as his right hand was hanging at his side, much like her own. As they both turned to walk down the corridor, Chrissie finally spotted me.

I waved at her, a smile forcefully plastered on my face and I could swear I saw a glimmer of hesitation flit across her face when she first spotted me. But before I was even sure of what I saw, it had turned into a smile and she waved back at me. She uttered a few words to Wood, too quiet for me to hear and he nodded his head at her as she finally made her way towards me.

It wasn't lost on me either how Wood watched her leave with a melancholic look on his face, forlorn as he watched the girl leave with another bloke.

For a moment the jealousy deep within me became blindingly hot as it seared at me and I felt like bashing Wood's face in for pining after my girl, but I realised that would be stupid and irresponsible. It disappeared almost as fast as it flared up, leaving me feeling hollow instead. I couldn't hate Wood for loving the same girl I loved. He had just gotten the worse timing of the two of us, though in that respect maybe we weren't so different. I couldn't place why, but for the last few weeks it had felt like I was on borrowed time with her. Though she was my girlfriend, it somehow always felt like I was just standing in, keeping the seat warm for someone else. Not that she ever said anything like that, but the hunch wouldn't disappear.

I was also jealous of the bond Chrissie and Wood had, that much I was aware of and would admit to. Their friendship had an ease to it that our relationship didn't have. They were always talking to each other for hours on end, and while I might not trust him, I trusted her enough to know she wasn't cheating on me. But at the same time I was very aware that Chrissie was jealous of Wood seeing another girl. It might only be casual, but it was getting to her; I could tell.

In the end we were all jealous, in one form or the other. It might differ from person to person, circumstance from circumstance, but in a way it was always the same. If left to fester it became incredibly destructive, which I saw first-hand and I wondered for that moment how long I had, until either Chrissie, Wood or I would succumb to it.

* * *

**A/N's: Yay, I finally churned out another chapter! :-) I seem to be taking forever on them, but I'm quite pleased to see that I haven't given up on this story yet and I still love it as much as ever! I'm so glad to have finally reached this point, as the dancing scene is one I've had planned as early as chapter three, all those years ago. And I finally got to write it! **

**Well we're slowly but surely making our way towards the home stretch of this story and I'm starting to seriously debate the outcome of this story. I had a sequel planned for about as long as this story has existed, so it's kinda scary to start thinking about the next story. **

**Also, I thought I'd address a question that was asked by one of the reviewers a couple of chapters back. The question was why does Oliver want Chrissie back, considering he was the one that dumped her. **

**That's a very good question and definitely worth looking into, but I don't think I can answer that question. I think I should let Wood answer that one for you! :-)**

**I have a little oneshot (which knowing my chapter lengths, probably won't be so little) planned that'll in part answer that question. So keep a look out for any new stories from me either before or after the next chapter. **

**Don't you love me guys?**

**P.S. It's going to be called 'The Boys of Chrissie'.**

**Until then,**

**Agrolass**


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